New “Know Your Ships” book launch party Saturday in Algonac

The official book release event for the popular Great Lakes shipwatching field guide “Know Your Ships” 2025 will be Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Algonac-Clay Historical Society Maritime Museum, 1117 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI.

Joining Editor/Publisher Roger LeLievre and KYS crew member Matt Miner will be special guest Andrea Guerriero (DRE Designs Great Lakes Marine Products) from Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Previously announced guest Ship to Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck will no longer be able to attend.

A $5 donation at the door includes admission to the museum and earns buyers $5 off on their total purchases.

This marks Know Your Ships’ 66^th year of publication.

Know Your Ships

Help Wanted: Isle Royale ferry seeks engineers, deckhand

2025 “Know Your Ships” available now

CSL Niagara hits lock wall, sustains gash in bow

Early on Wednesday morning, CSL Niagara had an allision (hitting a stationary object) with the lower end of the approach wall below the Beauharnois Lock in the St. Lawrence Seaway and sustained damage to her port bow.

She was traveling in ballast for Superior, WI, when the incident happened. She was de-ballasted to get the damaged area out of the water, and shifted back to the end of the wall to enable vessels to go around her. Divers were sent to the scene. There were no reported injuries and no reason has been given for the allison.

Update:
By evening she was underway eastbound for Montreal.

Janey Anderson

Great Lakes Maritime Academy hosts open
ship event for community this Saturday

 GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, MI – All aboard! The community is invited to the Great Lakes Maritime Academy’s ‘open ship’ event this Saturday.

 Once a year the academy opens their training ship, State of Michigan, to the community for self-guided tours. This is the opportunity to interact with current maritime cadets.

 Tours will begin at 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 12.

 WPBN/WGTU

 View a video report here: https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/great-lakes-maritime-academy-hosts-open-ship-event-for-community-this-saturday-traverse-city-grand-traverse-county?fbclid=IwY2xjawJjwwlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHoMmGjH0WmV_4PrNG6COCliCUEpVScXMZ7oBoDrA2fzTe8BcCNictkTnoT7M_aem_wbWdqROcN88YahsRH2KKGg

New “Know Your Ships” book launch party Saturday in Algonac

The official book release event for the popular Great Lakes shipwatching field guide “Know Your Ships” 2025 will be Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Algonac-Clay Historical Society Maritime Museum, 1117 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI.

Joining Editor/Publisher Roger LeLievre and KYS crew member Matt Miner will be special guest Andrea Guerriero (DRE Designs Great Lakes Marine Products) from Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Previously announced guest Ship to Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck will no longer be able to attend.

A $5 donation at the door includes admission to the museum and earns buyers $5 off on their total purchases.

This marks Know Your Ships’ 66^th year of publication.

Know Your Ships

Help Wanted: Isle Royale ferry seeks engineers, deckhand

2025 “Know Your Ships” available now

Polsteam’s latest new vessel headed to Cleveland

Polsteam Okra, the newest vessel in the Polish-flagged Polsteam fleet, is headed for Cleveland on her maiden voyage into the Great Lakes. She departed Trois-Rivieres, QC, Tuesday morning.

She is one of twelve 37,000 DWT Great Lakes bulkers vessels Polsteam is building, appropriately named after lakes in Poland, to strengthen the company’s position within the Great Lakes and Seaway system. Eight will have conventional propulsion units and four will have low-emission methanol propulsion.

Thunder Bay City Council votes to scrap historic tugboat

THUNDER BAY, ON – Any hopes to see a century-old tugboat in Thunder Bay preserved have sunk after Thunder Bay City council voted to scrap the James Whalen Monday.

The Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay has been advocating to preserve the Whalen. David Muir, vice chairman and director of site and operations at the museum, made a deputation to council pitching the idea of keeping just the top part of the boat– but to no avail.

“I’m upset by it because we’ve invested so much time trying to make this work,” said Muir.

After the historic tugboat sank in 2022, the City awarded a nearly $800,000 contract to lift it out of the Kamanistiqua river. Council previously voted last Fall to preserve parts of the tug, and recycle the rest. It changed course after receiving higher-than-expected bids on the tender for preservation and recycling.

Muir said preserving the top deck would add an extra $120,000 to the cost, but that the museum would eventually pay back the difference to the City.

“We can make it a land-based attraction that the public tourists, of which we had 6000 last year, visit and the various schools in Thunder Bay and region can actually get the feel of being on the Whalen,” said Muir.

Current River Ward Councillor Andrew Foulds said many are unhappy the historic boat won’t be preserved.

“I think it’s very easy to point fingers and blame. I just think it’s sad and unfortunate,” said Foulds.

Foulds said he put forward a resolution to save and display up to $20,000 of provisional items recognizing the story of the Whalen, but it was defeated.

“There’s the enormous cost to recycling it and there’s not really that many options,” said Foulds.

Dealing with the fate of the tugboat has been a frustration for council, he said.

“I appreciate the situation and I know there is a lot of documenting and pictures being taken and you know, we’re going to do the best that we can in protecting some of that legacy,” Foulds said.

The cost to recycle the boat is approximately $580,000.

CBC

Efforts underway to preserve Coast Guard
Lookout #4 on St. Marys River

SAULT STE. MARIE. MI – There’s an effort underway in Chippewa County to preserve a piece of maritime history along the St. Marys River.

The turn of the 20th century was a busy time on the St. Marys. Shipping traffic was getting heavy, so lookout stations were built to help those ships safely navigate the river,

“A lookout station was just a building on a tower that was manned, and they were connected to the Corps of Engineers Soo Locks by telephone cable and when the boats went by, they would report that passage to the locks so they would have some idea of the traffic that was coming through. Part of the time too, they would use that service to relay instructions from the ship owner to the captain. So the captain might come out and put his megaphone to his ear and the ship owner might have contacted the people at the lookout station, and he’d yell ‘go to Duluth,’” explained Great Lakes Photographer/Marine Historian Roger LeLievre said.

But newer, more modern ways of communicating slowly made these stations obsolete.

“Most of these Coast Guard lookout stations were either destroyed intentionally by fire by the Coast Guard,” explained LeLievre.

Today, just one of these lookout stations remains: Lookout #4. And time certainly caught up with this more than century-old guardian of the St. Marys.

“To a lot of the islanders and to the people in Barbeau, it’s an icon of vacation; when they see the lookout, they know they’re on vacation. It tugged at our heartstrings to see a historical site, we didn’t want it to end up like all the others, which were either burned or demolished,” said Mary Schallip.

A group called Shipmates of Lookout #4 is now raising money to preserve Lookout #4 and continue telling its story.

“What I think is unique about Lookout #4 is it’s not just the last lookout standing out of 7 lookouts, but this is a collaborative effort between the Coast Guard and the Neebish Island Historical Society and Bruce Township, Neebish Island is in Soo Township so it’s really four different areas all for the same cause which I think is really unique,” said Lori Miller who lives on Neebish Island.

“The lookout station for Neebish Island is like an icon; places have their lighthouses are their icon and you see it on postcards and all that kind of promotional stuff. For Neebish Island, it’s this Coast Guard Lookout station.

The Lookout #4 Steering Committee’s next meeting is at 12:30 p.m. on April 19 at the Bruce Township History Library.

TV 9&10

View the news report video here: https://www.9and10news.com/2025/04/07/special-report-saving-lookout-4/

Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Decreases in March 2025

CLEVELAND – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes were below one million tons in March, a decrease of 39.1 percent compared to 2024. Loadings were also below the month’s 5-year average by 19.4 percent. 

Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at nearly three million tons, a decrease of 31.9 percent compared to a year ago. Iron ore shipments are 15.2 percent below their 5-year average for the first three months of the year.

Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually that are the foundation of American industry, infrastructure, and power: iron ore, stone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials such as grain, salt, and sand.  More information is available at www.lcaships.com.

See Charts below in gallery

New “Know Your Ships” book launch party Saturday in Algonac

The official book release event for the popular Great Lakes shipwatching field guide “Know Your Ships” 2025 will be Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Algonac-Clay Historical Society Maritime Museum, 1117 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI.

Joining Editor/Publisher Roger LeLievre and KYS crew member Matt Miner will be special guest Andrea Guerriero (DRE Designs Great Lakes Marine Products) from Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Previously announced guest Ship to Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck will no longer be able to attend.

A $5 donation at the door includes admission to the museum and earns buyers $5 off on their total purchases.

This marks Know Your Ships’ 66^th year of publication.

Know Your Ships

Help Wanted: Isle Royale ferry seeks engineers, deckhand

2025 “Know Your Ships” available now

New “Know Your Ships” book launch party Saturday in Algonac

The official book release event for the popular Great Lakes shipwatching field guide “Know Your Ships” 2025 will be Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Algonac-Clay Historical Society Maritime Museum, 1117 St. Clair River Dr., Algonac, MI.

Joining Editor/Publisher Roger LeLievre and KYS crew member Matt Miner will be special guest Andrea Guerriero (DRE Designs Great Lakes Marine Products) from Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Previously announced guest Ship to Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck will no longer be able to attend.

A $5 donation at the door includes admission to the museum and earns buyers $5 off on their total purchases.

This marks Know Your Ships’ 66^th year of publication.

Know Your Ships

Victory Cruise Lines Returning to Great Lakes This Summer

 Victory Cruise Lines is relaunching this month with Great Lakes and Canada cruises. American Queen Voyages’ founder John Waggoner is reviving the brand with two 190-passenger ships, Victory I and Victory II.

 The vessels, which were purpose-built to sail the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and French-Canadian Maritimes, were previously owned by American Queen Voyages before it shut down last year (Waggoner was no longer involved with the company at the time). American Queen Voyages acquired Victory Cruise Lines in 2019.

 Both ships have been refurbished, and will sail popular and lesser-visited ports within North America. Many of Victory’s customers want to “wrap (themselves) in the American or Canadian flag,” according to founder and chairman Waggoner.

 “I think what we find is that a lot of our guests have traveled all over the world, and now they are looking for something that’s at home,” he told USA TODAY.

 Waggoner and his wife Claudette, who co-owns the company, will host Victory’s first cruise of the year. The 10-night cruise aboard Victory I will sail from Portland, Maine to Toronto, Canada on April 16 ahead of the ship’s christening. Victory II will be christened in Chicago on May 12.

 Victory will sail itineraries ranging from nine to 14 nights in 2025. Those include All 5 Great Lakes cruises, which visit Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Superior, sailing from either Chicago or Milwaukee to Toronto (or departing from Toronto).

 The 5 Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway itinerary will sail between Chicago and Montreal, while the Great Lakes & Thunder Bay cruise round-trip from Chicago includes two great lakes – Michigan and Superior – and an overnight stay in Michigan’s Mackinac Island, among other sailings.

 Stops will include Detroit and Marquette in Michigan; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Port Colborne, Ontario – giving guests access to Niagara Falls – and more. Victory will also be the only cruise line to dock at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

 The company offers a variety of excursions along the way, from a visit to the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and the Museum Ship Valley Camp, where guests can learn about the area’s history, to a behind-the-scenes tour of Lambeau Field where the Green Bay Packers play.

 “And then you hit Cleveland, where you dock right (near) the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Waggoner added. “And then Detroit, where you get to go to the Henry Ford Museum of (American) Innovation.”

 The ships will also host a LakeLorian program in partnership with the National Museum of the Great Lakes, offering lectures from historians and naturalists. Other onboard features include three dining concepts, a sun deck and a salon and spa.

 Available cruises currently start at $4,999 per person, according to Victory’s website. The fares include a pre-night hotel stay, transfers from the hotel to the ship, food and drinks onboard, a tour in each port, Wi-Fi and more.

 “What I hope (guests) take away is the grandeur and the beauty of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway,” Waggoner said.
USA Today

Help Wanted: Isle Royale ferry seeks engineers, deckhand

2025 “Know Your Ships” available now

Milwaukee welcomes first international ship of 2025 season

BY Rachel Ryan Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE — The first international ship of the 2025 season arrived in Milwaukee over the weekend.

The Singapore-flagged Patagonman docked in Port Milwaukee on Sunday, March 30, the first international ship of the 2025 shipping season

It corresponded with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, which connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean

There were 42 international ships that came through Milwaukee in 2024

The port connects local farmers and businesses to international markets

The Singapore-flagged Patagonman docked in Port Milwaukee on Sunday, March 30 after sailing through the Atlantic Ocean and unloading cargo in Ontario.

It corresponded with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, which connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Ships from around the world enter Milwaukee for about nine months of the year, serving as a link to world markets for local farmers and businesses. Last year, cargo coming through Port Milwaukee was from or set to go to Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

There were 42 international ships that came through Milwaukee in 2024. Together, they carried over 324,000 metric tons of cargo, which was 70% more than 2023.

“The Patagonman’s arrival signals the start of Port Milwaukee’s international season, and we are hopeful we’ll go above and beyond 2024 tonnage levels,” Port Director Jackie Q. Carter said in a release.

Staff celebrated the arrival of the first international ship with a plaque that was presented to Captain Eduard Kovalevskiy on Tuesday, April 1. After it finished loading, it shipped out to the United Kingdom.

“World markets strengthen our economy, and it is great to welcome the first international arrival of the 2025 shipping season,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in the release.

2 Michigan lighthouses to get more than $100K in grants for preservation efforts

By: Max White

(WXYZ) — Two Northern Michigan lighthouses will receive more than $100,000 in grants to support ongoing preservation efforts.

According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse on Lake Michigan and the Gull Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior will receive the grants.

They come from the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office and the MEDC.

“This year, SHPO is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program and is proud of the important work that has been accomplished across the state to restore and repair these irreplaceable icons,” State Historic Preservation Officer Ryan Schumaker said in a statement. “SHPO is pleased to build on past preservation efforts by supporting these two lighthouses and their stewards in their continued efforts to invest in Michigan’s maritime heritage.”

The Charlevoix Historical Society was granted $60,000 with a matching $80,500 to support ongoing preservation efforts at the Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse. The society will hire a contractor to clean and paint portions of the exterior and interior of the lighthouse.

“On behalf of the Charlevoix Historical Society, we are extremely grateful to the State Historic Preservation Office for the grant awarded through the MLAP program, and to all of those who participate in the ‘Save Our Lights’ license plate program,” President Emerita and Lighthouse Chair Denise Fate said in a statement. “This important project will ensure the long-term stability and preservation of Charlevoix’s beloved South Pier Lighthouse, which plays a significant role in the City’s identity.”

The remote Gull Rock Lighthouse off the eastern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula will get more than $46,000 and another $23,233.33 in matching grants for its preservation.

The Gull Rock Lightkeepers will hire a contractor to clean and re-stain the cedar roof of the 1867 lighthouse, which is undergoing navigation.

Gull Rock is one of the most remote lighthouses in the Great Lakes and was among the earliest to be automated in 1913.

“The SHPO has been a critical partner in the ongoing restoration of the Gull Rock Lighthouse, both through its financial support via the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program as well as through the ongoing advice and technical expertise provided by its staff,” Gull Rock Lightkeepers Secretary David Younkman said in a statement. “We greatly value our partnership and the historic results that we have and will continue to achieve together. Protecting and restoring these lighthouses is a wonderful reminder of the long and important history America has had with our Great Lakes.”

Funding from the program comes directly from the sale of specialty Save Our Lights license plates which are available from the Michigan Secretary of State.
“Because of the generosity of people who pay a little extra for a lighthouse license plate, we are able to award grants each year that help preserve these symbolic Michigan structures for the long term,” Schumaker said.

Soo Locks Engineers Day 2025 will be June 27

 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with the City of Sault Ste. Marie, the Sault Ste. Marie Convention & Visitors Bureau, the United States Coast Guard, the Lake Superior State University Center for Freshwater Research and Education, Hospice of the Eastern Upper Peninsula, and Superior Health Systems are hosting open house events for the 2025 Soo Locks Engineers Day on June 27. 

 Visitors are welcome into the Soo Locks facility and across the MacArthur Lock from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday, June 27. 

 Engineers Day honors the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ June 16, 1775, birthday. The Corps of Engineers is proud to celebrate 250 years of service to the nation. Since the beginning, the Corps of Engineers has been at the forefront of engineering excellence, responding to the nation’s most complex challenges with unmatched expertise and dedication.

 “The Soo Locks are a vital part of our community’s history. Engineers Day lets us celebrate the history and ingenuity behind the Soo Locks,” said Linda Hoath, executive director of the Sault Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Over the past few years, we’ve helped grow Engineers Day into an event that involves the whole downtown. We look forward to welcoming visitors and residents alike to downtown for Engineers Day.”

 “We are continuing the requirement for all bags coming into the Soo Locks to be clear,” Jason Wojnaroski Soo Project Office Assistant Operations Manager said. “Clear bags will allow park security to quickly inspect bags and assist with making this a fun and safe event for everyone.”

 For our visitors bringing bags, the Engineers Day policy for the Soo Locks follows:

    Clear bags cannot be larger than 12 inches long, 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide.

    Diaper bags are not allowed.

    Medical bags are exempt.

    Wallets must not have a strap and cannot exceed 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches.

 All people entering the Soo Locks are subject to a security search. Firearms, weapons including knives of any size, drugs, pets (except service animals) and bicycles are not permitted.

 “Visitors will not be able to cross the Poe Lock again this year, due to ongoing construction for the New Lock at the Soo project,” said LeighAnn Ryckeghem, Soo Project Office Operations Manager. “Visitors will be able to cross the MacArthur Lock and tour the first floor of the historic Administration Building.”

 Visitors should enter the Soo Locks facility at the east end, crossing the downstream gate of the MacArthur Lock, and exiting the west end, crossing back on the upstream gate. This path equals about a half mile (.5 miles) of walking.

 Along with welcoming visitors into the Soo Locks complex, Canal Park and the viewing platform will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the Soo Locks Visitor Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

 The Sault Ste. Marie Convention and Visitors Bureau is closing a portion of Portage Avenue to focus on downtown city merchants and vendors. Downtown Portage Avenue will close to vehicle traffic and open for pedestrians and vendors between Ferris Street and Osborn Boulevard from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., June 28. 

 Along with allowing visitors into the Soo Locks facility, several other events will take place:

     United States Coast Guard open house from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

    Hospice of the Eastern Upper Peninsula and Superior Health Systems Arts, Crafts and Family Fun Fair at the City Hall grounds from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

    Lake Superior State University Center for Freshwater Research and Education will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

 To register to be a vendor (no-cost) on Portage Avenue, please contact the Sault Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at 906-632-3366 or admin@saultstemarie.com. 

 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Isle Royale National Park’s Ferry Stuck At Dock Without Engineers

 Reaching Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior could be hard this summer, as the National Park Service’s ferry that normally takes visitors to the park is without an engineering crew.

 The Ranger III, which traverses the 76 nautical miles between Houghton, Michigan, and the park in about six-and-a-half hours, requires an engineering staff to operate. Unfortunately, the engineer and assistant engineer reportedly took advantage of the Trump administration’s buyout program to retire now and collect pay through September. On top of that, the administration’s hiring freeze is keeping the park from hiring replacements.

 “The 165-foot vessel cannot operate without a full U.S. Coast Guard-licensed crew,” says Bill Fink, a former Isle Royale superintendent now retired and living in Houghton. “The Ranger III is the keystone of park operations. It carries staff and visitors, yes, but it also carries the fuel which runs generators for the developed areas; it carries the bulk of the frozen and fresh food for employees and the lodge; it carries the major freight load for projects; it carries off the refuse from the park staff and the lodge operation; it carries visitor boats (sometimes returning disabled visitor boats back to the mainland).

 “In short, if the Ranger III cannot operate, Isle Royale cannot be functionally open,” said Fink.

 The park is typically closed to visitors from November 1 to April 15. It was not immediately clear if the park would open on April 16 this year.

 Park staff referred questions about the matter to the National Park Service’s Midwest Region office, which referred questions to the agency’s Washington headquarters, which did not immediately respond Wednesday,

 National Park Traveler

New CSL cement carrier to be named Tamarack

Eureka Shipping, a provider high-efficiency cement carrier services jointly owned by SMT Shipping and The CSL Group, announced last April, the start of construction of this state-of-art mechanical/pneumatic cement ship specifically designed for operation in the Great Lakes.

Tamarack will be more suitable for lake trade than Sunnanvik, which is a deep draft vessel. Tamarack will have diesel-electric propulsion system, modern, fuel-efficient engines capable of operating on HVO biofuel and two rudder propellers with 360-degree thrust, plus a powerful bowthruster, for superior maneuverability.

The steelwork for Tamarack has been completed in China, and the hull towed to Holland Shipyard Group in the Netherlands, where she is being equipped with systems and electronics. Delivery is expected later this season.

Eureka Shipping/CSL Group

Port of Green Bay sees first arrival for 2025’s shipping season

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The first ship of the 2025 shipping season has officially arrived in at the Port of Green Bay, carrying cement. The Port of Green Bay said the shipping season kicked off as the Innovation with Tug Samuel De Champlain arrived on March 12, at 1:49 p.m.

“This year’s shipping season is now underway just two days later than last year’s start,” Director Dean Haen said via the release. “This makes for an early start and has us looking forward to what our new season will bring.”

Now that the first ship has arrived, the Port of Green Bay’s ‘First Ship’ contest has concluded, with the winner being Anne LaCour of Pembine, who predicted that the first ship would arrive at 2:13 p.m. on March 12.

Her prediction landed her a one-night stay at the Hotel Northland, a 200th anniversary Brown County-themed Monopoly game, six tickets to the National Railroad Museum and a gift certificate from the Voyageurs Sourdough Bakehouse.

WFRV

Federal Franklin Thunder Bay’s first saltie

THUNDER BAY— The first international “saltie” vessel to reach port in the shipping season was welcomed at Richardson’s Main Terminal for the second Top Hat Ceremony of 2025 on Wednesday.

The MV Federal Franklin and its 22-person crew, including Capt. Rohit Khosla, had the earliest arrival of a saltie in Thunder Bay for the second year running, after it arrived last year on March 28. Its arrival marked the official opening of international shipping in the Port of Thunder Bay for the 2025 shipping season.

“The 10-year average is about April 10th, so we’re well over a week ahead of what you’d anticipate and it marks only the fourth time that a saltie vessel has crossed through the break wall in March,” said Chris Heikkinen, the CEO of the Port of Thunder Bay.

Heikkinen added that it was one of the earliest openings they’ve ever had for international shipping in the Port of Thunder Bay. He explained that opening a little bit early always helps.

“There are finite days in the season and if the vessels can get another load in during that season, then you’re ahead of the game,” said Heikkinen.

The number of salties visiting our port has also increased over the last couple of decades, said Heikkinen.

“We’ve been flirting even with close to 200 in some years, so we’re definitely looking at probably at least 150 saltie calls this year,” said Heikkinen.

The vessel was commissioned in 2021 into the Fednav fleet of Seaway-max bulkers, Canada’s largest oceangoing bulk shipping company, which accounts for 40 per cent of saltie vessel calls to the port.

“I’ve been here in Thunder Bay many times in the past, but yes, I’m one of the fortunate guys who’s been here for the second consecutive year,” said Khosla.

Khosla joined the crew a month back, since travelling to Jamaica with some aluminum cargo, all the way to Baie-Comeau to discharge and from there to Thunder Bay in ballast (without cargo) to pick up thousands of tons canola destined for Veracruz, Mexico.

“The journey was quite impressive, I would say, in a way that it was very different from the last time when I arrived (in) Thunder Bay,” said Khosla.

“Things were a bit cold this time, especially the water levels we were concerned about when we were transiting the Saint Marys River and especially the thickness of the ice, which was quite well accumulated all around this area.”

As a second-time Top Hat Ceremony recipient, Khosla agreed he would like to make it a tradition going forward. He expects to be sailing out again on Thursday but, depending upon the weather, the vessel may stay in the port for 2 to 3 days more.

TB Newswatch

Thunder Bay shipyard owner offered to repair damaged vessel Michipicoten

THUNDER BAY, ON – When the damaged lake carrier Michipicoten headed to a Wisconsin port last summer for repairs, an opportunity for the Thunder Bay shipyard left as well.

The 689-foot self-unloading vessel suffered a 13-foot-long breach to its hull in June 2024 while carrying iron ore pellets southwest of Isle Royale.

After a temporary patch was applied at dockside at Keefer Terminal, owner Lower Lakes Towing of Port Dover, Ont. sent it to Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wisconsin for more repairs.

Ontario Shipyards has now revealed that it offered to fix the vessel at its dry dock in Thunder Bay. “We pursued it. We provided them with a solution. They chose to go somewhere else. That’s their business, but we did try to bring that to Thunder Bay,” said Ted Kirkpatrick, director of business development and government relations for Ontario Shipyards.

In an interview Tuesday, he was asked why the company wasn’t able to land the job. “We felt we were able to be competitive. I can’t speak to business decisions that other groups make. We put forward what we felt was a real solution, and they chose to go in a different direction, and that’s their prerogative as a business owner.”

Lower Lakes Towing has not responded to media inquiries about the Michipicoten since the incident last year. As of Tuesday, the ship was still reported to be at the US shipyard.

The Thunder Bay facility was idled early last year but did receive a contract in December 2024 to repair the bulk carrier Federal Yoshino which was damaged in an incident in the Kam River a month earlier.

The work has just been completed. But Kirkpatrick said the local yard remains available for any other work that might come its way.

“It’s open. There are still Ontario Shipyards employees that work there. Have we had to slim it down and be more opportunistic? Yes, but it is an active facility and always has been.”

He said a skeleton crew remains on the site, but added that the repairs to the Federal Yoshino are a good example of how the facility can be mobilized quickly to undertake complex projects.

“We were able to complete it on time, which I know made the vessel owners very happy. We’re very thankful to Anglo- Eastern (a ship management firm) and Fednav (the owner of the ship) for giving us the opportunity and putting their faith in us. I think it was a great outcome.”

Kirkpatrick said the company will continue efforts to find more work for the Thunder Bay yard in the months to come.

TB Newswatch

The fate of the vintage tug James Whalen is put on hold

THUNDER BAY, ON –  A local company says they never offered to scrap the James Whalen for free. Harbour Metals Recycling did not email anyone at the city or on council offering to take the 119-year-old boat for free, according to James White, a trader with the local company.

Coun. Albert Aiello said during Monday’s committee of the whole meeting that the city had received an email from Harbour Metals suggesting they could take the tug at no cost to the city. City manager John Collin said staff were not aware of the email.

That email was the basis for Aiello’s motion to delay awarding a contract to destroy the tug to one of the two companies that bid on the project and have staff look into the possibility of having the boat scrapped for free.

Council voted nine to three in support of the motion, against staff advice.

Commissioner of Infrastructure and Operations Kayla Dixon told Newswatch there was an email sent to Aiello, but it was not sent from Harbour Metals. It was from a member of the public. “Administration at the time was unaware of the email,” said Dixon.

“After investigating this matter, we’ve determined that there was no actual proposal or a viable option that had been put forward by Harbour Metals.”

There is no possibility of Harbour Metals taking the James Whalen for free, said White.

“Unfortunately, looking at the scope of work, there are a lot more factors involved, such as asbestos abatement and other issues that would prevent Harbour Metals from being able to take this boat for free,” he said.

For several reasons, the company did not bid on the contract, said White, but he said they “would be willing to work with the successful bidder to remove scrap materials after any remediation and salvage efforts were completed.”

Administration will present a follow-up report to City Council at its April 7 meeting, reaffirming the initial recommendation to dispose of the James Whalen.

TB Newswatch

Coast Guard opening Grays Reef Passage

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI — Per 33 CFR 165.901, Captain of the Port Northern Great Lakes will open Grays Reef Passage, effective 1200 local time on 4 April 2025.

The Coast Guard would like to remind all recreational ice users to plan their activity carefully, use caution on the ice, and stay away from shipping channels.

Blacky earns Toronto port’s top hat

TORONTO, ON – The  Port of Toronto’s 164th annual Top Hat ceremony was held March 31onboard Canfornav’s motor vessel Blacky. PortsToronto President & CEO RJ Steenstra awarded Captain Sergei Soldatkin of the Blacky with the top hat for being the first ocean-going vessel to arrive at the port.

It was a tight race with Maccoa this year, bur Blacky arrived first from Imbituba, Brazil, with more than 19,000 metric tonnes of sugar for Redpath Sugar.

In attendance were MPP Chris Glover, Rev. Judith Alltree, Ashley Black of Redpath Sugar, and Jason Crooks of Canfornav.

Janey Anderson