U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell Receives Legislator of the Year Award

Ann Arbor, MI (October 28, 2024) – On Monday, October 28, 2024, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell for her efforts advocating for the Great Lakes navigation system and the American workers that insure a resilient maritime supply chain which drives the nation’s economic base.

“The Great Lakes are not only an important natural resource but a way of life that supports communities across our region and country, creating more than 1.5 million jobs, supplying 90 percent of our nation’s fresh surface water, and generating $62 billion in wages every year. They are critical to numerous industries, supply chains, and our economy, and support countless families’ livelihoods.

“As a co-chair of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force, I’m honored to be recognized by the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force and will continue to fight in Congress to protect these waters and all who depend on them,” said Dingell.

“It is an honor and privilege to present this award to Representative Dingell,” said Jim Weakley President of the Lake Carriers’ Association and Vice President of GLMTF. “She strengthened navigational infrastructure by supporting funding to finish the critical new large navigational lock in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and pressing for the acquisition of a desperately needed U.S. Coast Guard heavy icebreaker for the Great Lakes.”

In addition, Dingell understands the need to attract and retain a skilled workforce like those needed at the Soo Locks.  As the only waterway connection between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the Soo Locks are the linchpin of the Great Lakes Navigation System. In 2022, the Department of Defense reduced the wage rate for 77 skilled laborer positions at the Soo Locks Complex by 19 percent. Two-thirds of the workers occupying those positions are veterans. She has been a catalyst for a solution proposing that the Department of Defense approve the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers May 2022 request for a special salary rate (SSR) to restore the wage scale lost in 2022 for these 77 positions.

The ceremony was hosted on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor and highlighted the “Aaron Friedman Marine Hydrodynamics Lab,” which has one of the only four towing tanks nationwide.

Great Lakes Maritime Task Force

Soo Locks Visitor Center closes for 2024 season

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District will close the Soo Locks Visitor Center in Canal Park at 7 p.m. Oct. 31 for the 2024 season.

“In addition to our regular exhibit updates this season, we added new photos and information to our Virtual Tour exhibit featuring the ongoing work on the New Lock at the Soo,” Chief Park Ranger Michelle Briggs said. “For 2025, we will have a new large format aerial view of the facility showing visitors a birds-eye view of the Soo Locks taken in September 2024 with demolition of the Sabin Lock underway

Behind the Scenes at the New Soo Locks

View a video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZoipueb5U

Gales of November  8-9

A great slate of presentations this year. Also a form to order a raffle ticket for a ride on the Edwin H. Gott. Help support Duluth’s Maritime Museum 

See flyer below.

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

James R Barker leaves Bay ship

James R Barker departed Bay Ship in Sturgeon Bay to pick up where she left off. She Departed at 10:05 AM Sunday 10/27/2024   and is on her way to Duluth / Superior

Behind the Scenes at the New Soo Locks

View a video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZoipueb5U

Gales of November  8-9

A great slate of presentations this year. Also a form to order a raffle ticket for a ride on the Edwin H. Gott. Help support Duluth’s Maritime Museum 

See flyer below.

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

Behind the Scenes at the New Soo Locks

View a video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZoipueb5U

Gales of November  8-9

A great slate of presentations this year. Also a form to order a raffle ticket for a ride on the Edwin H. Gott. Help support Duluth’s Maritime Museum 

See flyer below.

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

New research boat being built to help gather fish data in Great Lakes

CHARLEVOIX COUNTY, MI – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources gathers fish population data across the Great Lakes. Soon, the research center in Charlevoix will have a new and improved boat to help get that information.

 For more than 55 years, the DNR has used the S/V Steelhead to get researchers, technicians and biologists where they needed to go to collect data on the Great Lakes.

 “Our data is used to inform stocking decisions for chinook, coho, sometimes lake trout, brown trout, steelhead, possibly regulations like a size limit or a possession limit, and those have changed throughout the years for certain species like lake trout to try to stay within harvest limits,” said Patrick Hanchin from the Charlevoix Research Fisheries Station.

 To help get this information, the vessel is equipped with electronics and other resources.

 After more than five decades of service, the boat is outdated and parts are often hard to come by.

 “The hull itself is now, through aging, is slowly being compromised,” said Patrick O’Neill, S/V Steelhead boat captain. “We’re having trouble finding replacement parts for these. Not only are the engine types never, they’re not being made, but the parts to maintain them are no longer available.”

 With the help of Moran Ironworks and Boksa Marine Design, a new vessel, Steelhead II, with standardized equipment and a few notable upgrades will be built.

 “We’re planning on putting in a sea keeper, which is an instrument that’s used to counter the effects of the wave energy so the boat won’t be as tippy. So hopefully it’ll be a safer, steadier platform,” said O’Neill.

 UpNorthLive

Foreign Shipping Companies Reach $102 Million Settlement With DOJ Over Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Mike Schuler
October 24, 2024

Singapore-based companies Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the owner and operator of the M/V DALI, have agreed to a $101,980,000 settlement with the U.S. government to resolve claims related to the catastrophic collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.

 The collapse, which occurred on March 26, 2024, claimed six lives and brought shipping in and out of the Port of Baltimore to a standstill.

 “Nearly seven months after one of the worst transportation disasters in recent memory, we have reached an important milestone with today’s settlement,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This resolution ensures that the costs of the federal government’s cleanup efforts in the Fort McHenry Channel are borne by Grace Ocean and Synergy, not the American taxpayer.”

 The incident occurred in the early hours of March 26, when the containership DALI lost power while navigating the Fort McHenry Channel, causing it to strike the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The collapse killed six people and left the wreckage of the bridge and the vessel obstructing the channel, forcing a halt to shipping traffic and severing a critical highway link in the region.

 Federal, state, and local agencies led an intensive response, working to remove approximately 50,000 tons of steel, concrete, and debris from the channel in the months following the incident. Temporary shipping lanes were established to alleviate the port’s bottleneck until the Fort McHenry Channel was cleared and reopened on June 10.

 The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit in September, seeking over $100 million in damages from the companies for their failure to address known risks with the vessel’s power systems, which contributed to the disaster. According to the lawsuit, the companies neglected to resolve known vibration issues that could lead to power outages and configured the ship’s systems in a way that prevented rapid restoration of propulsion and steering during the incident.

 “This was an entirely avoidable catastrophe,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton. “The owner and operator of the DALI failed to prevent a series of foreseeable errors, leading to this tragic outcome.”

 The settlement addresses the United States’ claims under the Rivers and Harbors Act, the Oil Pollution Act, and general maritime law, totaling $103 million in damages. The funds will be allocated to the U.S. Treasury and various federal agencies involved in the response to the disaster.

 The settlement does not cover the costs of reconstructing the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which the State of Maryland, as the bridge’s owner and operator, is pursuing through a separate legal claim. Funds recovered by Maryland will be used to reduce the project costs borne by federal taxpayers. This settlement is in addition to $97,294 already paid by Grace Ocean to the Coast Guard National Pollution Fund Center for oil pollution abatement costs arising from the incident.

 “This accident happened because of the careless and grossly negligent decisions made by Grace Ocean and Synergy, who recklessly chose to send an unseaworthy vessel to navigate a critical waterway and ignored the risks to American lives and the nation’s infrastructure,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Chetan Patil of the Civil Division.

 The Department’s claim came after the two companies filed a legal action shortly after the accident, seeking to either be exonerated or have their liability limited to approximately $44 million.

 The case was handled by the Civil Division’s Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

Behind the Scenes at the New Soo Locks

View a video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZoipueb5U

Gales of November  8-9

A great slate of presentations this year. Also a form to order a raffle ticket for a ride on the Edwin H. Gott. Help support Duluth’s Maritime Museum 

See flyer below.

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

Pierson rudder recovered and is on the way to Superior

The Purvis Marine tug W.I. Scott Purvis and barge recovered the rudder from the Robert S. Pierson on Thursday in the upper St. Marys River near Gros Cap. It is on its way to Superior, WI, to be reunited with the Pierson, which is on the Fraser Shipyards drydock.

Joseph L. Block, repairs to her damaged boom complete, departed Duluth on Thursday.

Behind the Scenes at the New Soo Locks

View a video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZoipueb5U

Gales of November  8-9

A great slate of presentations this year. Also a form to order a raffle ticket for a ride on the Edwin H. Gott. Help support Duluth’s Maritime Museum 

See flyer below.

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

Great Lakes Now Offers Program About J.W. Westcott mailboat

Climb aboard while the J.W. Westcott company delivers mail and crew to passing freighters. Learn about what goes into piloting oceangoing cargo ships passing through the Great Lakes. And join us as we board one of the biggest freighters on the Great Lakes to see what’s cooking in the ship’s galley. It all airs on Detroit PBS Monday, October 28 at 7:30 PM ET.

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/freighters-on-the-move/

2 ships that collided, sank 170 years ago rest intact
on the bottom of Lake Huron

PRESQUE ISLE, MI – On a foggy night 170 years ago, two ships sailing on Lake Huron collided, causing fatal damage to both, records say.

On Oct. 20, 1854, the John J. Audubon was sailing north, headed for Chicago, with a load of iron railroad tracks, according to the NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The Defiance, carrying a load of corn and wheat, was sailing southbound. It was around 1:30 a.m. when Defiance emerged from the fog and darkness and struck Audubon’s midsection.

The collision cut a hole deep in Audubon’s hull, and it sank quickly, records say. Defiance was fatally damaged but struggled on before sinking a few miles away. Both crews survived.

Today, the wooden two-masted schooners rest intact and upright at the bottom of the Great Lake, records say. Audubon is under 170 feet of water at GPS coordinates N45°17.331′ W83°20.351′. Defiance is under 185 feet of water at GPS coordinates N45° 14.058′ W83° 16.707′.

Going down in 1854, the wrecks were part of the costliest season on the Great Lakes to date: 119 lives and 70 ships lost, plus $2 million in property losses, records say.

Find out more at this link: https://thunderbay.noaa.gov/shipwrecks/defiance.html

Behind the Scenes at the New Soo Locks

View a video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZoipueb5U

Gales of November  8-9

A great slate of presentations this year. Also a form to order a raffle ticket for a ride on the Edwin H. Gott. Help support Duluth’s Maritime Museum 

See flyer below.

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

Rudderless Robert S. Pierson arrives at Fraser Shipyards

The Robert S. Pierson arrived at Fraser Shipyards early Tuesday and went right into the drydock after being towed from Goulais Bay, near Sault Ste. Marie, ON, by the tug Avenger IV. Although nothing official has been released, waterfront reports indicate the Pierson lost her rudder in the vicinity of Gros Cap more than a week ago. Photos of her in the drydock show her without a rudder. It is not known if the rudder has been located. She had departed Algoma Steel for Two Harbors on October 13 when the incident occurred. The tugs Missouri, North Carolina and Helen H assisted in the arrival

Behind the Scene at the New Soo Locks

View a video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZoipueb5U

Gales of November  8-9

A great slate of presentations this year. Also a form to order a raffle ticket for a ride on the Edwin H. Gott. Help support Duluth’s Maritime Museum 

Bottom of Form

[David Schauer]

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

Robert S. Pierson arrives at Fraser Shipyards

The Robert S. Pierson arrived at Fraser Shipyards early Tuesday and went right into the drydock after being towed from Goulais Bay, near Sault Ste. Marie, ON, by the tug Avenger IV. Although nothing official has been released, waterfront reports indicate the Pierson lost her rudder in the vicinity of Gros Cap more than a week ago. It is not known if the rudder has been located. She had departed Algoma Steel for Two Harbors on October 13 when the incident occurred. The tugs Missouri, North Carolina and Helen H assisted in the arrival.

U.S. Coast Guard hosting ghost ship 2024 in Sturgeon Bay

STURGEON BAY — The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay will host their annual ghost ship event at Sawyer Park Pier in Sturgeon Bay from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. Guests will be able to board the vessel at Sawyer Park Pier in Sturgeon Bay, on the south side of the canal adjacent to the Maple-Oregon Bridge.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. for young guests and become spookier with more frights and scares at 6 p.m. Parental guidance is required for sailors under the age of 12 to board the cutter. Hot chocolate and candy will be available at the pier.

The event is free, but a nonperishable food donation is recommended. All nonperishable items received will be donated to a local food bank.

“This is always a great event for folks of all ages,” said Cmdr. Dan O’Brien, commanding officer, Mobile Bay.

“Mobile Bay has hosted the ghost ship event in Sturgeon bay for decades. We are excited to continue this fun tradition in support of the local community,” O’Brien said.

The Mobile Bay is a 140-foot icebreaking tug based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Since its commissioning in 1979, it has helped maintain open shipping lanes throughout the Great Lakes by breaking ice during the winter months.

With the addition of its 120-foot barge in 1992, Mobile Bay has also served as a buoy tender responsible for the maintenance and setting of more than 110 aids to navigation in Green Bay and northwestern Lake Michigan.

 Chi-Cheemaun Arrives at Owen Sound for winter

Another season of sailing between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island is over for the MS Chi-Cheemaun. The passenger ferry made its final scheduled run of the year Sunday evening and arrived at its winter quarters at Owen Sound Monday afternoon.

On Tuesday, the ship’s marine evacuation system will be deployed for training and recertification purposes.

“This exercise is part of Owen Sound Transportation Company’s ongoing commitment to safety and emergency preparedness. The purpose of the exercise is to practice deploying evacuation equipment and response tactics,” the company explained in a statement. “Marine Navigation and Engineering cadets from Georgian College will be participating as passengers as the marine evacuation system slide is deployed and the zodiac tows the raft to shore.”

Bayshore Broadcasting

Sturgeon Bay shipwreck is named a national historic place

STURGEON BAY – The wreck of a ship that sank in a tornado off of Egg Harbor 126 years ago but ended up in shallow water off the West Side of Sturgeon Bay now has joined 30 other Door County shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Wisconsin Historical Society announced this past week that the wreck of the Pride is now listed on the national register. It was placed on the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places on May 24 and now is the 31st shipwreck in Door County waters on the state and national registers.

The Pride’s remains can been seen in about 8 feet of water in the Sturgeon Bay channel, partially embedded in the channel bottom almost exactly due north of the intersection of West Juniper Street and North Lansing Avenue, about 250 feet from that intersection or 200 feet off shore.

A press release from the historical society said that while its hull is broken, it remains intact up to the turn of the bilge and all of its components except the masts remain on site. The hull sides, deck shelf and bulwarks have fallen outward, the centerboard trunk has been displaced and the deck, deck planking and beams have lifted and now sit perpendicular to the hull off the port side.

“The vessel provides historians and archaeologists with the opportunity to study construction techniques of schooners used in the Great Lakes shipping and lumber trades,” its listing on the register says. “The Pride site has produced archaeological knowledge about early wooden schooner construction and has the potential to yield a wealth of information about early schooner construction on the Great Lakes.”

But although the Pride now rests in the Sturgeon Bay channel, its last voyage ended off Egg Harbor.

The Pride was built in Black River, Ohio, in 1866, and used by its owners mainly to ship bulk general goods on Lake Erie, according to the Wisconsin Shipwrecks website. By 1868 the schooner had a new owner and was homeported in Chicago, and eight subsequent ownership changes saw it hauling loads of lumber, building materials and other goods on the Great Lakes from home ports in Kenosha and Racine, including smaller loads of building stone between Kenosha and Sturgeon Bay for a time.

Capt. Jacob Wilson bought the ship in 1893 from the Hervig brothers of Racine, after it had been for sale for six years, and used it to move lumber and bulk goods from its new home port of Milwaukee.

The Pride’s final voyage departed from Milwaukee on Aug. 20, 1898. On Aug. 22, it dropped anchor in Egg Harbor to get a contract to haul a load of wood.

But at dinner time, the Pride was struck by a squall that caught it broadside, then by a tornado that whipped the ship around and capsized it “with such force that its two masts became imbedded to the lake bottom,” the Wisconsin Shipwrecks website says.

Capt. Wilson survived by clinging to the side of the hull before being rescued, but his son and first mate, Thomas Wilson, was lost in the sinking; his body was found in the water more than a week later. Wilson’s Newfoundland dog survived the wreck, but was trapped inside the cabin until being rescued.

Aug. 24, two days after the sinking, the schooner was righted and towed to Sturgeon Bay to be moored at the Leathem & Smith Towing & Wrecking Co., which took ownership of the vessel in exchange for the costs. However, while tied up at the dock, the wreck sprung a leak, broke loose and drifted away, landing on Dunlap Reef in the middle of the channel (across from what is now Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding), where it posed an obstacle to other ships trying to navigate the channel.

In 1900, the Pride was moved and run ashore with consideration for restoring it, but no further work was performed on it and it was abandoned and fell apart where it lies today.

This isn’t the only wreck of a ship named Pride in the waters of Door County. According to Wisconsin Shipwrecks, a three-masted, 87-foot schooner Pride sank just off the north shore of Washington Island in 1901 after 52 years of service, having been built in Ohio in 1849. That vessel’s remains are broken up and scattered under 40 to 50 feet of water. It currently is not on the state historic register.

State and federal laws protect the wreck of the Pride in Sturgeon Bay. Divers may not remove artifacts or structure when visiting this site. Removing, defacing, displacing or destroying artifacts or sites is a crime. For more information on the Pride, visit wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2803 or wisconsinshipwrecks.org.

Green Bay Press Gazette

Behind the Scene at the New Soo Locks

View a video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZoipueb5U

Gales of November  8-9

A great slate of presentations this year. Also a form to order a raffle ticket for a ride on the Edwin H. Gott. Help support Duluth’s Maritime Museum 

Bottom of Form

[David Schauer]

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

McAsphalt Advantage Clears Panama Canal for Halifax

The McAsphalt Advantage cleared the Panama Canal this morning and her
AIS shows Halifax for her next destination.

Matt Miner

Gales of November  8-9

A great slate of presentations this year. Also a form to order a raffle ticket for a ride on the Edwin H. Gott. Help support Duluth’s Maritime Museum 

Bottom of Form

[David Schauer]

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite