Today in Great Lakes History

[yachtsmanwilly]

THIS JUST IN... frm LaCrosse Wi, on the Mississsippi river... ws




lacrossetribune.com/news/divers-recover-body-after-tug-loses-power/article_63f4ef7e-e457-11e2-b31d-001a4bcf887a.html





Coast Guard Vessel Documentation

You asked for a vessel with a name like "MEGAN MCB". That selection resulted in 1 matches.

(1 of 1)

Vessel Name: MEGAN MCB USCG Doc. No.: 1242647
Vessel Service: TOWING VESSEL IMO Number: *
Trade Indicator: Coastwise Unrestricted Call Sign: *
Hull Material: STEEL Hull Number: 10
Ship Builder: TELL CITY BOAT WORKS INC Year Built: 2012

Length (ft.): 65.1
Hailing Port: LA CROSSE WI Hull Depth (ft.): 10.1
Owner: BRENNAN MARINE INC
820 BAINBRIDGE STREET P.O. BOX 2557
LA CROSSE, WI 54602-2557 Hull Breadth (ft.): 26.1
Gross Tonnage: 114
Net Tonnage: 91
Documentation Issuance Date: December 11, 2012 Documentation Expiration Date: December 31, 2013

Previous Vessel Names: No Vessel Name Changes Previous Vessel Owners: TELL CITY BOAT WORKS

[yachtsmanwilly]

Today in Great Lakes History - July 8

An apparent steering gear or engine failure caused the salty ORLA, built in 1999, to ground off Marysville on the St. Clair River on July 8, 2005. She was able to dislodge herself.

LOUIS R. DESMARAIS (Hull#212) was launched July 8,1977, at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. Cargo hold replaced at Port Weller Drydocks Ltd., and renamed b.) CSL LAURENTIEN in 2001.

In 1918, a slip joint on the main steam line of the ANN ARBOR NO 5 let go, killing four men and badly scalding one other. The dead were Lon Boyd, W.T. Archie Gailbraith, 1st assistant engineer Arthur R. Gilbert, coal passer William Herbert Freeman, 2nd engineer. In 1984, the Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Company (MWT) resumed service to Milwaukee with disappointing results.

On 8 July 1908, JAMES G. BLAINE (formerly PENSAUKEE, wooden schooner-barge, 177 foot 555 gross tons, built in 1867, at Little Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin) was being towed in Lake Ontario by the tug WILLIAM L. PROCTOR. Her towline broke in a storm and she was driven ashore near Oswego, New York where the waves broke her up. No lives were lost. At the time of her loss, even though she was over 40 years old, she was still fully rigged as a 3-mast schooner.

On 8 July 1863, ALMIRA (2-mast wooden scow-schooner, 85 foot, 80 tons, built in 1849, at Black River, Ohio) was dismasted and capsized in a violent squall on Lake Ontario. All hands were lost. On 27 July, the cargo of barreled fish was found by the schooner M. L. COLLINS. The ALMIRA was found still afloat by the schooner PETREL on 30 July. She was rebuilt and sailed until December 1871, when she foundered in the ice.

On 8 July 1920, MARY WOOLSON (3-mast wooden schooner, 179 foot, 709 gross tons, built in 1888, at Bay City, Michigan) was being towed by the wooden steamer CHARLES D. BRADLEY along with the schooner-barge MIZTEC, when the BRADLEY slowed in mid-lake, causing both tows to ram her. The WOOLSON's bow was heavily damaged and she quickly sank 8 miles northeast of Sturgeon Point on Lake Huron. No lives were lost.

1899: The schooner SOPHIA MINCH, under tow of the JOHN N. GLIDDEN,was is caught in a wild Lake Erie storm and is cut loose. The vessel was blown ashore west of Ashtabula and declared a total loss only to be salvaged July 24, 1899, and repaired.

1923: EDWARD L. STRONG and GLENDOCHART collided between Locks 17 and 18 of the Cornwall Canal with minor damage. The former was scrapped at Port Dalhousie as e) WELLANDOC (ii) in 1963 while the latter was broken up at Hamilton as f) MANCOX in 1970-1971.

1949: NEW YORK NEWS (ii) ran aground on a shoal at the east entrance to Little Current, Manitoulin Island, due to low water and misplaced channel markers. About 800 tons of coal were lightered and the ship is refloated on July 9.

1973: The former BROMALM, a Swedish flag Seaway trader in 1963 and 1964, hit bottom, began leaking and was beached off Kuantan, Western Malaysia, as c) ARISAIOS. On a voyage to Osaka, Japan, with 9,700 tons of iron ore it was completely flooded and a total loss.

1977: AGAWA CANYON hit the abutment to Bridge 12 of the Welland Canal after losing power while downbound with salt for Kingston. The gash in the port bow was repaired by Port Weller Dry Docks.

1992: COMEAUDOC lost power and struck the seawall at Port Huron while upbound, resulting in significant damage to the wall.



Saginaw River waterfront in Bay City hosting dozen tall ships for 4-day festival, tied to race

7/8 - Bay City, Michigan - Bay City is preparing for this week's arrival of a fleet of tall ships. It's part of a four-day celebration of the era when sailing power ruled the waves.

The high-masted vessels are expected to sail in from Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay and draw tens of thousands of visitors to the Saginaw River waterfront. The 2013 Tall Ship Celebration opens Thursday and runs through July 14.

The event is being held in conjunction with the Tall Ships Challenge, a race across the Great Lakes sponsored by Tall Ships America.

Ships scheduled to be in port this year are the Flagship Niagara, Sorlandet, Peacemaker, Pride of Baltimore II, Denis Sullivan, Unicorn, Madeline, Lynx, Pathfinder, Playfair, Hindu and Appledore IV.






Police investigating lighthouse break-in at Lorain

7/8 - Lorain, Ohio - You’d expect that police have seen it all. Not quite. “I’ve never ever heard of that happening,” Lorain police spokesman Lt. Roger Watkins said Saturday of a break-in at the Lorain Lighthouse that is believed to have taken place between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

A report of the incident was not available from police Saturday, but Watkins said detectives had recovered unspecified evidence inside the 1917 lighthouse for analysis.

“That may or may not lead to us being able to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators,” Watkins said. It is not known if more than one person entered the structure, which can only be reached by boat or other watercraft.

“That’s the only way you can get out there,” Watkins said of the structure, which is among a small number of lighthouses that are not built on land and which cannot be reached by a walkway. “I’ve been out to it in a kayak, and it’s not that easy to get to, going through the inlet and all,” Watkins said.

One of the most-photographed locations in Lorain County, the four-story lighthouse was manned by crews of Coast Guard personnel through 1954. The structure included a kitchen, sleeping quarters, and office. The lighthouse operated until 1965.

Police are still in the process of determining just how the lighthouse was entered and what was taken. “We believe it was some lenses (used in the lighthouse beacon) but we’re not sure what else,” Watkins said.

Watkins asked that anyone with information relating to the incident call the Lorain Police Detective Bureau at [phone].

Lorain Journal




Uncertain future continues for Great Lakes-built Coast Guard cutter Storis

7/8 - Juneau, Alaska – The USCG Cutter Storis met what many considered its demise when the historic ship was placed on the auction block on the General Services Administration website in late June.

Storis failed to reach its reserve price of $60,000 by June 27, and so the Great Lakes-built vessel’s future continues to be in doubt.

Many of those who once sailed aboard the ship, which served in World War II and made a historic voyage when it traversed the Northwest Passage, are now responding with mixed apathy and hope.

Even lawmakers that supported keeping the Storis afloat, if only as a maritime museum here in its home port, are now faced with the same question: What are they to do?

In short: there may still be a chance.

“I strongly supported efforts to preserve this vessel as a maritime museum to honor that history and all the men and women who serve in the Coast Guard,” U.S. Sen. Mark Begich said. “It’s unfortunate this historic ship is now on the auction block, but the reality of maintaining a vintage vessel such as this is very challenging. Personally, I hope no one bids and we can try once again to bring the Storis back home to Alaska.”

Begich introduced two pieces of legislation that conveyed the Storis to those who supported a museum in its honor.

After two years of championing for the restoration of the Storis, and even further pushes during the most recent legislative session, the cutter was turned over to the GSA, which will now carry out the disposal process.

“The core need for having something that resonates with residents and tourist in terms of capturing and sharing Alaska’s maritime history — that’s still a legitimate need,” said Joe Geldhof, secretary for the Storis Museum in Juneau. “You’ve got to be flexible in the modern world.”

Even though no one placed a bid on the Storis, the boat may still have a home in Toledo, Ohio, where the possibility of a maritime museum for decommissioned Coast Guard vessels still exists.

The Storis museum here is more of an homage to the Storis and helped secure its listing on the Registry of National Historic Places last year. It’s nothing like what the team of veterans and supporters had hoped for with a real maritime museum.

In 1942 the Storis was commissioned and was tasked with preventing German soldiers from establishing weather stations on Greenland. The Storis’ ice-resistant hull enabled it to traverse the Northwest Passage through the Arctic Ocean, and many fear that hull will be melted and used for razor blades.

“This news blind-sided me, as one of her former crewmembers who had high hopes of seeing her used as a maritime museum in Juneau,” said Ken Fisher, who served aboard the Storis in 1957 and 1958. “I’d rather have the USCG Storis in Toledo than my Gillette razor.”

In an interview recently, Geldhof said there were only two options left; both seemed unlikely as “the die is cast.” According to Geldhof, their only hopes are to get the politicians involved, or place the bid themselves.

“We’re looking for white knights and patrons,” Geldhof said.

The ship was laid down by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company of Toledo, Ohio, on July 14, 1941. Storis was launched on April 4, 1942 and commissioned on September 30, 1942 as an ice patrol tender. Initially assigned to the North Atlantic during World War II, Storis participated in the Greenland Patrols. She was tasked with patrolling the east coast of Greenland to prevent the establishment of German weather stations.

On 10 June 1943, she began escorting convoy GS-24 from Narsarssuak to St. John's, Newfoundland, in company with the USCGC Mojave (flag), Tampa, Escanaba, and Algonquin, the convoy consisting of USAT Fairfax and USS Raritan. At 0510 on the 13th, dense black and yellow smoke was reported rising from the Escanaba. She sank at 0513. Storis and Raritan were ordered to investigate and rescue survivors while the rest of the convoy began zigzagging and steering evasive courses to avoid submarines. At 0715 the two cutters returned, having rescued 2 survivors and found the body of Lt. Robert H. Prause, which was on the Raritan. No explosion had been heard by the other escort vessels. The entire crew of 103 of the Escanaba was lost with the exception of these two men.

During her first years, Storis operated in the very waters from which her name was derived. "Storis" is a Scandinavian name taken from the Eskimo word "sirorssuit" meaning "great ice."

Storis was decommissioned in a ceremony in Kodiak on February 8, 2007. The cutter then sailed to Alameda, California, where it was made ready for its immediate destination as part of the "Mothball Fleet" at Suisun Bay.

Juneau Empire




Former ferry Normac reopens as Mexican restaurant

7/7 - Port Dalhousie, Ont. – The former Manitoulin Island ferry Normac is open for business again as a restaurant in the Port Dalhousie area of St. Catharines. The historic ship, which dates from 1902, now operates as "Riverboat Mexican Grill" and had its grand re-opening on July 5.

The ship suffered considerable internal damage in a fire on December 28, 2011, and has been completely cleaned up and rebuilt. After beginning life as the fire tug James R. Elliott at Detroit, the ship was converted to a passenger and automobile ferry in 1931 and operated between Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula of Ontario, Manitoulin Island and North Channel communities as Normac until the end of the 1968 season.

It was taken to Toronto in July 1969 and became the original "Captain John's Restaurant" reopening at the foot of Yonge Street on August 8, 1970. The upper works were rebuilt with aluminum in 1972 and it continued to serve the public until sinking at the dock on June 16, 1981.

The hull was raised in 1986, rebuilt once again and taken to Cleveland in 1989 for work as a floating restaurant on the Cuyahoga River. It settled on the bottom at the East 9th St. Pier in 1993 and was refloated and brought back to Canada in 1995. Moored at Port Dalhousie, on the east side of the harbour, the ship has been open for business under different names. It was known as "Tokyo Joe's Restaurant" at the time of the fire.

It may come as a surprise that the 111 year old vessel is back in service but the owner has done a fine job in refurbishing the ship. It serves as a bar and restaurant again and has a nice outside patio deck so customers can enjoy the cooling breezes off the water.

[yachtsmanwilly]

New cruise ship Pearl Mist due on Lakes/Seaway in 2014

7/9 - Next year, one of the most interesting small ship cruise lines to debut in a long time will enter service with a single 210-passenger vessel, the Pearl Mist.

Pearl Seas Cruises was founded with the goal to provide small-ship luxury adventure cruises aboard new ships, which is where the still-being-built Pearl Mist comes in. Rather than retrofitting an existing vessel, the line chose to create one from the ground up.

Pearl Mist's maiden season begins June 28, 2014, with an 11-night Atlantic coast sailing from Baltimore to Halifax that calls in off-the-beaten-path ports like Nantucket, Mass., and Lunenburg, N.S. The following voyage is a 10-night journey through the heart of the Canadian Maritimes, sailing between Halifax and Quebec City. Pearl Seas then sends the Pearl Mist on a series of cruises along the famed St. Lawrence Seaway between Quebec City and Toronto before embarking on four Great Lakes sailings that are either 10 or 11 nights and sail between Toronto and Chicago.

Following a fall season of trips between Toronto and Quebec City along the St. Lawrence Seaway, Pearl Mist's inaugural season concludes on Nov. 15, 2014 with an 11-night voyage from Baltimore to the Caribbean resort paradise of Nassau in the Bahamas.

Currently undergoing the final fitting-out stage of construction at the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yards in Maryland, the 102-metre-long Pearl Mist is small enough to offer an intimate and luxurious adventure cruise. But it is large enough to include amenities such as six lounges, a full-sized restaurant with open-seating dining, a spa and fitness area, and plenty of outdoor deck space for scenic cruising.

All staterooms aboard the Pearl Mist will feature private balconies, and 10 staterooms have been set aside for single-occupancy use, perfect for those who like to cruise solo. Dress will be resort casual, and emphasis will be placed on-board enrichment and locally inspired cuisine.

Visit fromthedeckchair.com for all the latest cruise news and live trip reports.



The Province





After years of dispute, cruise ship Pearl Mist gets closer to launch

7/9 - Baltimore, Md. – After a four-year buffeting in the legal system, the Pearl Mist has finally found haven in Maryland.

The owner of the 335-foot cruise ship and the Canadian shipyard that built it have parted ways in a nasty divorce that involved two federal courts and an arbitration panel that itself was reduced to internal squabbling.

And after sitting at a Canton pier for a month, the Pearl Mist was moved in mid-June to Chesapeake Shipbuilding Inc. in Salisbury to be readied for her maiden cruise from Baltimore next June.

Gleaming white on the outside, Pearl Mist is a caldron of unfinished business on the inside, from a spartan wheelhouse in need of electronics to staterooms barren of furniture.

"She's been a mystery ship," said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of CruiseCritic.com. "She was supposed to come out in 2008 and we're all still waiting."

The ship is the vision of Charles Robertson, the soft-spoken owner of Pearl Seas Cruises LLC, the Connecticut-based American Cruise Lines and the Salisbury shipyard. He formed the Pearl Seas line to combine international travel with the intimate experience of cruising on a 210-passenger ship.

"We have enjoyed considerable success with American Cruise Lines, and we also know from our passengers that they are interested in going to the Canadian Maritimes and Belize and the Caribbean on a smaller ship," Robertson said. "We were responding to demand."

Pearl Seas was established in 2006 as a Marshall Islands company, with the Pearl Mist flying a Marshall Islands flag. About 90 percent of the commercial ships calling on U.S. ports fly foreign flags, according to Cruise Lines International Association. Federal law requires U.S.-flagged ships to be built in the United States and crewed by Americans, which makes them more expensive to operate.

With his Salisbury shipyard running at full capacity, Robertson turned to Irving Shipbuilding Inc., a Halifax, Nova Scotia, operation with 120 years of expertise in tugboats, tankers and military vessels up to 394 feet. In 2011, it was awarded a $25 billion contract to build 21 warships for the Royal Canadian Navy.

The Pearl Mist would be its first passenger cruise ship.

Federal court documents show that storm warnings were evident in February 2007, just five months after Pearl Seas signed a $43.5 million contract with Irving. Top officials on both sides engaged in a series of meetings to discuss construction difficulties with the vessel.

As workers cut steel and laid the keel, disputes continued, culminating in arbitration claims and counterclaims in 2008 covering everything from design flaws to complaints about noise and vibrations in the ship's heating and ventilation systems, according to court records.

Pearl Seas alleged that the shipyard had not followed specifications in the contract and laid out 70 items that were deficient. Irving Shipbuilding contended that it had followed the contract to the letter.

Meanwhile, the vessel's cruise schedule slipped from 2008 to 2009 to 2010.

The shipyard finished the job and on May 6, 2009, told the cruise line that the Pearl Mist had completed sea trials successfully. Three days later, Pearl Seas said the vessel was not seaworthy and refused delivery.

The cruise company produced for arbitrators and a federal judge in Connecticut a letter from Lloyd's Register, an international organization that sets safety and environmental standards for the design, construction and operation of ships, saying it was "unable to issue certification due to incomplete inspections, trials."

At about the same time, a top maritime official of the Marshall Islands emailed a rejection to Robertson, saying the condition of the vessel "is not to a standard acceptable by the Office of the Maritime Administrator."

Two more sets of sea trials followed with the same unsatisfactory results, Pearl Seas alleged in court documents. It then asked a panel of three maritime arbitrators to void the contract. Irving filed a counterclaim, asking that Pearl Seas be ordered to take delivery.

During the protracted dispute, the Pearl Mist was towed to a lonely exile at a repair yard in Shelburne, a town of 1,700 near the western shore of Nova Scotia.

Meanwhile, the arbitrators sorted through the issues as 2010 played out.

Two of them found mostly for the shipbuilder, saying, "Pearl Seas is not entitled to reject the vessel on the basis of the vessel's alleged deficiencies," but said the owner could request a price adjustment based on alleged shortcomings.

The third arbitrator dissented from the majority opinion.

Baltimore Sun




Army Corps' plan could save $15M and move jobs to Michigan

7/9 - Washington, D.C. – A proposal that could save the Army Corps of Engineers $15 million over the next decade by restructuring its Great Lakes division — and shifting fewer than two dozen jobs to Detroit as part of that effort — has caught the attention of legislators representing Buffalo, N.Y., and Chicago, who are working hard to derail it.

A U.S. Senate amendment was passed to block the Corps from spending money on relocating or consolidating any jobs in Chicago, at the insistence of Illinois’ senators. And Buffalo-area congressmen wrote the head of the Corps, urging him to abandon the plan by claiming that it could reduce that city’s Corps operation, as well as Chicago’s, to “mere field offices.”

The specter of hundreds of employees being impacted has been invoked, as well, even though the Corps told the Free Press last week that the reorganization “will only affect approximately 23 positions in Buffalo and Chicago ... and will not involve involuntary separations of any permanent employees.”

It just goes to show: All politics is local. Spending cuts and sequestration may be all the rage in Washington, but the potential loss of even a handful of jobs brings both Republicans and Democrats out swinging.

“It makes perfect sense for Michigan to have a strong Army Corps presence,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. “By streamlining administrative overhead, the Army Corps can ensure that more resources are available.”

While it’s not entirely clear how word of the plan spread — the Corps is quick to point out that the proposal has not been finalized — the reasoning behind it couldn’t be more transparent: Officials say that, compared to other Corps divisions, the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division has much higher overhead costs for its operations.

With budgets being slashed by Congress, the Corps — as Great Lakes Division head Brig. Gen. Margaret Burcham said in an e-mail last month — wants “to get ahead of the situation to ensure predictability for our work force, while providing the most project return for our customer’s dollar.”

That means consolidating some of the functions done at all three offices now — such as public affairs, accounting and other support services — in Detroit, though there would still be some people left in the other cities doing some of those jobs, and much of the restructuring would be done through attrition. It’s not even clear how many of the 23 jobs would end up in Detroit.

But the prospect of losing any jobs at the Corps’ district offices in Buffalo and Chicago didn’t sit well with the people who represent voters in those cities.

Western New York Reps. Brian Higgins, a Democrat, and Chris Collins, a Republican, wrote Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, the Corps commanding officer, on June 24, objecting to the plan. They said they had been “presented no evidence of the division’s extraordinary claim” that a consolidation could save $15 million.

Then, last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee stuck an amendment on the annual Energy and Water Development spending bill, at the urging of Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk, that says no funds can be used “to relocate or consolidate general and administrative functions” in the Chicago office. It also orders the Corps to submit a report on any of its proposals to relocate or consolidate staff anywhere.

Durbin, a Democrat, and Kirk, a Republican, both put out releases saying their amendment would prevent “the removal of critical functions and staff” from Chicago, and that the Corps had announced plans “to move Chicago District Office functions to Detroit, potentially impacting more than 200 employees who oversee Corps projects such as Asian carp, electric barriers and Chicago locks and dams.” It’s not the first time Michigan has found itself in a political fight with nearby states: State officials have pushed to have more done to ensure Asian carp don’t reach the Great Lakes, even if it means closing off Chicago-area waterways, for instance.

Durbin has also been engaged in a long battle to stop a Ludington-based ferry, the S.S. Badger, from dumping coal ash into Lake Michigan, calling it “the filthiest ship on the Great Lakes.” He objected to a government agreement allowing the ship to keep operating for two more years while its owners find a solution.

As for the Corps’ plans, they are still being discussed. The Senate amendment still has to survive the long budget process to go into effect, and the Corps still says it needs to rein in costs where it can.

But in an e-mail to the Free Press, it promised to try to do so without any district offices being slashed.

“There are no plans to close or significantly reduce the size of any Corps district,” the Corps said.

Detroit Free Press





Today in Great Lakes History - July 9

WILLIAM R. ROESCH, renamed b.) DAVID Z. NORTON in 1995, loaded her first cargo in 1973, at Superior, Wisconsin where she took on 18,828 tons of iron ore bound for Jones & Laughlin's Cuyahoga River plant at Cleveland.

The BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS and her fleet mate IRVING S. OLDS passed through the Panama Canal on July 9, 1988, under tow of the German tug OSA RAVENSTURM. The pair was on a 14,000-mile journey to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, arriving there on November 8, 1988, for scrapping by Sing Cheng Yung Iron & Steel Co. Ltd.

On 9 July 1876, ST CLAIR (wooden propeller freighter with some passenger accommodations, 127 foot, 326 gross tons, built in 1867, at Algonac, Michigan) had 14 crew and 18 passengers aboard along with cargo of flour, feed and deck loads of cattle as she sailed on Lake Superior. At 2:00 a.m., she caught fire about five miles off shore from 14 Mile Point. She was a wood burner and had a history of shipboard fires. The fire spread so quickly that only one boat could be launched and being overloaded, it capsized. The cries of those left on the vessel, along with the bellowing of the cattle, were heart rending. Only six survived in the one lifeboat since the cold water took its toll on those who clung to it. Eventually they righted the boat and paddled to shore, leaving the ST CLAIR burned to the waterline.

On 9 July 1891, W A MOORE (wood propeller tug, 119 foot, 212 gross tons, built in 1865, at Detroit, Michigan) burned to a total loss at Cleveland, Ohio.

1917: The bulk carrier WILLIAM S. MACK collided with the passenger freighter MANITOBA in fog off Whitefish Point and had to be beached. It was subsequently refloated and repaired. The ship was renamed HOME SMITH on October 10, 1917, and last sailed as ALGORAIL in 1963 before being scrapped at Toronto.

1967: The NEW YORK NEWS (iii) and the saltwater ship NORDGLIMT collided off Escoumins, QC, with only minor damage.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Great Lakes iron ore trade down 7 percent in June

7/10 - Cleveland, Ohio ¨C Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 6 million tons in June, a decrease of 6 percent compared to May, and a drop of 7 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings also trailed the month¡¯s long-term average by 4.4 percent.

Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 5.3 million tons, a decrease of 6.7 percent compared to a year ago. The June total included 305,000 tons shipped to Quebec City for loading into oceangoing vessels and delivery overseas. Year-to-date overseas exports total 1,057,000 tons.

Shipments from Canadian ports to Great Lakes destinations totaled 753,000 tons, a decrease of 9.5 percent compared to a year ago.

Year-to-date, the Lakes ore trade stands at 23.2 million tons, a decrease of 8.1 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings are 3.4 percent below the long-term average for the first half of the year.

Lake Carriers Association


Tall ships race out of Cleveland in the Challenge Great Lakes 2013

7/10 - On Lake Erie, Off of Cleveland, Ohio ¨C In the wake of the Fourth of July festival crowds, eight tall ships put the Port of Cleveland behind to compete in the Challenge Great Lakes 2013 race to Pelee Passage Monday.

Seven of the tall ships had paraded into Cleveland last Thursday for the Tall Ships Festival 2013: the topsail schooner Appledore IV, the three-masted schooner Denis Sullivan, the square topsail schooner Lynx, the brigantine Playfair, the barquentine Peacemaker, topsail schooner Pride of Baltimore II and the full-rigged Norwegian ship Sorlandet. The eighth ship, the US Brig Niagara, sailed into Cleveland from Erie, Pa., for maintenance work on Sunday.

By 11 am Monday, the ships had slipped from their docks in Port of Cleveland, and, under hazy sun, headed for the 5-Mile Crib on Lake Erie. There the racing committee of the Edgewater Yacht Club set the markers for the noon start. With a blast of from the committee boat cannon, the race was on.

Well, almost. Sailing vessels the size of schooners and full-rigged ships aren't quite as nimble as catamarans and take a lot longer to reach the start. Once the cannon sounds, any motors are shut down, and the ships must navigate under sail power for the duration of the race.

Only two of the ships, the Pride of Baltimore II and the U.S. Brig Niagara, passed first and second over the starting line within 20 minutes of the cannon. With light wind and heavy air, the remaining contestants made their way with a 20 minute lag.

With a 12-hour time limit to make Pelee Passage, the majestic ships set out on the 54-mile course due west northwest.

"It is a like a jam race," said Mike Dills of the Edgewater Yacht Club race committee. "But they sure are beautiful to watch!"

The Plain Dealer



June rain gives Great Lakes levels needed boost

7/10 - June provided a healthy dose of precipitation for the region ¡ª giving most of the Great Lakes a much-needed boost.

In recent years, lake levels have sunk to record or near-record lows as winters with little snow and ice and springs with little rainfall have become close to the norm. Last month, however, each of the lakes ¡ª save Superior ¡ª experienced above average precipitation, according to new statistics released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

¡ö Lakes Michigan and Huron received 3.21 inches of rainfall ¡ª above the 3.17 inch average for June.
¡ö Lake Erie received 4.99 inches of rainfall ¡ª more than the June average of 3.47 inches.
¡ö Lake Ontario received 4.77 inches of rainfall ¡ª exceeding the average of 3.13 inches.

Lake Superior finished June with 2.9 inches of rainfall, which is well below the 3.27 inches the lake historically sees for the month.

Despite the increased precipitation for the region, most of the lakes finished the month with a mean level below the historical average. For the month, Lake Superior finished with a mean of 601.25 feet above sea level. That¡¯s below the historic mean of 601.84 feet for June.

Lakes Michigan and Huron finished June with a mean of 577.79 feet above sea level ¡ª below the historic mean of 579.2 feet. Lake St. Clair finished June at 574.11 feet, below the historical mean of 574.7 feet. Lake Erie ended the month at a mean of 571.62 feet, while its historic average is 571.95 feet.

Lake Ontario, always the region¡¯s statistical wild card, finished June with a mean of 246.39 feet, slightly above its historic level of 246.19 feet.

The Detroit News



Michigan Department of Transportation releases draft of Michigan Freight Plan

7/10 - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has released for public review and comment the draft Michigan Freight Plan, a new supplement to the 2035 MI Transportation Plan that includes a list of projects designed to address freight mobility in Michigan.

MDOT is seeking comments on the plan through Aug. 7 and has scheduled a July 24 Webinar to discuss it in detail. The plan is available for viewing on-line at www.michigan.gov/slrp or at MDOTs region offices and Transportation Service Centers.

Freight is defined as any good, product or raw material carried by commercial transportation, including air, highway, rail, water and pipeline. MDOT recognizes the importance of freight mobility. A safe, efficient and well-maintained transportation network supports cost-effective freight movement, economic development and improved quality of life.

The Michigan Freight Plan provides a comprehensive overview of the state's freight transportation system, including existing assets, system performance and the investments required to ensure long-term success. A multi-modal and intermodal resource, the plan provides an overall framework for freight system improvements and priorities. It is an element of the 2035 MI Transportation Plan and integrates its overall vision, goals, objectives, strategies and decision-making principles.

The public Webinar is scheduled for 10 to 11 a.m., July 24. Register at the State Long-Range Plan website at www.michigan.gov/slrp or send name, organization (if applicable), phone number and address to [e-mail]. Details, including Web address and audio connection information will be sent with E-mail confirmation. Registration and copies of the plan also may be obtained by calling 517-241-4819 or by writing Bob Parsons, Public Involvement and Hearings Officer, Bureau of Highway Development, Michigan Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 30050, Lansing, MI 48909. MDOT would appreciate your assistance with sharing this E-mail and the attached flier with others interested in advancing freight transportation in Michigan.




Today in Great Lakes History - July 10

On this day in 1979, Captain Thomas Small had his license for Master of Steam and Motor Vessel of any gross tonnage renewed at the St. Ignace Coast Guard Station. Captain Small, a retired Pittsburgh Steamship employee and 106 years of age, was the oldest person to be licensed and the issue number of his license is the highest ever issued by the Coast Guard ¨C 14-17 (14th masters license and 17th license as a pilot, mate, or master).

On July 10, 2005, noted marine photographer Paul Wiening passed away at his residence in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

G. A. TOMLINSON (Hull#370) was launched at the American Ship Building Co., Lorain, Ohio, on July 10, 1909, for the Douglas Steamship Co (J.J.H. Brown, mgr.), renamed b.) HENRY R. PLATT JR in 1959. The hull was used as a breakwater in Burlington Bay, Ontario, in 1971.

In 1998, the ALGOWEST was re-dedicated at Port Weller Dry Docks. The $20 million conversion of the ship to a self-unloader from a bulk-carrier was completed by 400 shipbuilders at Port Weller Dry Docks during the previous eight months. Renamed in 2001, she sails for Algoma today as b.) PETER R. CRESSWELL.

On 10 July 1866, COQUETTE (1-mast wooden scow-sloop, 90 foot, 140 tons, built in 1858, at Perry, Ohio as a schooner) capsized in a storm on Lake Michigan and was lost with her crew of four. She had originally been built for the U.S. Government.

On 10 July 1911, JOHN MITCHELL (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 420 foot, 4,468 gross tons, built in 1907, at St. Clair, Michigan) was carrying wheat off Whitefish Point on Lake Superior when she was rammed broadside by the coal-laden steel steamer WILLIAM HENRY MACK (steel propeller bulk freighter, 354 foot, 3781 gross tons, built in 1903, at Cleveland, Ohio). The MACK tried to keep her bow in the hole, but the MITCHELL still sank in 7 minutes. Quick work saved most of her crew and all 7 passengers. Three of the 34 onboard were lost. The MACK got most of the blame for the accident. The MITCHELL's wreck was discovered upside-down on the bottom in 1972. (Note: Bowling Green's database gives the date of this accident as 19 July 1911 and Dave Swayze's Shipwreck database gives the date as 10 July 1911.)

1930 YORKTON was beached with only the top of the pilothouse above water after a head-on collision in fog on Whitefish Bay with the MANTADOC. The ship was later salvaged and repaired at Collingwood.

1938 RAHANE ran aground on a shoal in the American Narrows of the St. Lawrence while downbound with steel, package freight and grain. Some cargo was removed by the lighter COBOURG and the ship was refloated with major bottom damage. The vessel last sailed on the lakes as A.A. HUDSON before departing for saltwater service in the fall of 1965.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Lakes stone trade down 5.8 percent in June

7/11 - Cleveland, Ohio – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in June, a slight increase over May (80,000 tons), but a decrease of 5.8 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were also down 7.5 percent from June’s total in recent years.

Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 3.1 million tons, a decrease of 2.8 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings at Canadian quarries dipped by more than 21 percent.

Year-to-date, the Lakes limestone trade stands at 9.3 million tons, a decrease of 6.4 percent compared to a year ago, and 7.7 percent below the average for the January-June timeframe in recent years.

Lake Carriers' Association




Port Reports - July 11

Duluth, Minn.
Tim S. Dool loaded grain Monday at the Riverland Ag dock in Duluth, formerly known as Cargill. She is expected to depart in Friday.

St. Marys River
Fednav’s Federal Weser was upbound in the St. Marys River Wednesday evening with a destination of Thunder Bay listed, coming from a Lake Michigan port. Fleetmate Federal Asahi and Polsteam’s Drawkso remain at the anchorage north of DeTour awaiting orders.

Milwaukee Wis. - Chris Gaziano
It was a busy day for Milwaukee. The Mississagi departed before sunrise after arriving late Tuesday night with a partial load of salt. As they were heading out they were met by the St. Marys Challenger making her way in with a load of cement. After spending the day unloading the St. Marys was heading out for the lake by late afternoon. The saltie Iryda came in during the evening hours followed by the Algomarine with a load of salt.

Alpena, Mich. - Ben & Chanda McClain
On Wednesday morning the tug G.L. Ostrander and barge Integrity loaded cement under the silos at Lafarge. Once it departed the dock, it was heading for Detroit, Mich. The Alpena was expected to arrive around 10:30 Wednesday night.

Saginaw River - Todd Shorkey
The tug Zeus and tank barge Robert F. Deegan called on the Saginaw River, Tuesday, stopping at the Dow Chemical dock in Bay City, to unload. The pair were outbound for the lake early Wednesday morning.

Hamilton, Ont.
Ojibway has departed her temporary layup and, after a short stop in Windsor Wednesday, is headed for Lake Superior to load.




Today in Great Lakes History - July 11

On this day in 1962, the EDWARD L. RYERSON carried a record cargo of 24,445 tons of iron ore through the newly opened Rock Cut Channel. The new channel increased allowable depths by 26 inches to 25 feet 7 inches.

On this day in 1943, the new MacArthur Lock was formally opened to traffic. The first boat to lock through during the ceremonies was the upbound CARL D. BRADLEY, Captain F. F. Pearse. There were 250 dignitaries and passengers aboard the Bradley during the lockage. The first downbound vessel was the new Leon Fraser of the Pittsburgh Steamship fleet.

The INDIANA HARBOR was christened July 11, 1979.

On 11 July 1888, the 2-mast wooden schooner JOHN TIBBETS was carrying coal on Lake Erie when she foundered in the shallows near Clear Creek, 7 miles west of Port Rowan, Ontario and then broke up in the storm waves. Her crew made it to shore in the yawl. She was built in 1863, at Clayton, New York on the hull of the Canadian schooner PERSEVERANCE, which was originally built in 1855.

The PERSIA, a 150-foot passenger/package freight vessel, was launched at Melancthon Simpson's shipyard at St. Catharines, Ontario, on 11 July 1873. She was built at a cost of $37,000. She lasted until the 1920's when she was converted to a barge and then abandoned.

MONTEZUMA (3-mast wooden schooner-barge, 341 feet, 2,722 gross tons) was launched at the John Davidson shipyard (Hull #102) in West Bay City, Michigan, on 11 July 1903. She was one of the largest wooden vessels ever built. It was later stated in the press that the reason Davidson's last large vessels took so long to build was the difficulty in obtaining the required large oak timbers and their expense. As steel went down in price, wood went up, and Davidson's last hulls cost as much as comparably-sized steel ones. At the time of launching this vessel the Davidson shipyard announced that it would not build any more wooden freight vessels.

1915: CHOCTAW, enroute from Cleveland to Duluth with a cargo of coal, sank following a collision with the WAHCONDAH in foggy Lake Huron. All on board were saved.

1940: WILLIAM F. STIFEL ran aground in the St. Clair River near Port Lambton and was struck by the ALBERT E. HEEKIN.

1964: CHEMBARGE NO. 4, formerly a) JUDGE KENEFICK and b) H.J. McMANUS was towed out into Lake Huron by ATOMIC and ABURG and scuttled in deep water about 16 miles off Goderich after sulphuric acid began leaking into the bilges of the recently-converted tanker barge.

2007: CANADIAN NAVIGATOR lost power and went aground in mud off Courtright and six tugs were needed to pull the ship free.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Today in Great Lakes History - July 12

On this day in 1978, the keel for Hull #909 was laid at Toledo, Ohio, after Interlake Steamship and Republic Steel signed a 25-year haulage contract. Hull#909 was to be named WILLIAM J. DE LANCEY and renamed PAUL R. TREGURTHA in 1990.

On July 12, 2005, the DAY PECKINPAUGH, under tow of the tug BENJAMIN ELLIOT, departed the lakes through the New York State Barge Canal to Lockport, New York for a new life as a traveling history museum.

The BELLE RIVER, renamed b.) WALTER J. McCARTHY JR in 1990, was christened on July 12, 1977, as American Steamship's first thousand-footer and the first thousand-footer built at Bay Shipbuilding.

The H. M. GRIFFITH (Hull#203) was launched July 12, 1973, at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipyards for Canada Steamship Lines. Rebuilt with a new cargo section in 2000, renamed b.) RT. HON. PAUL J. MARTIN.

In 1986, when ENDERS M. VOORHEES was chained together with her sisters, A.H. FERBERT and IRVING S. OLDS, a severe thunderstorm struck Duluth, Minnesota, pushing the trio across St. Louis Bay, eventually grounding them near Superior, Wisconsin. It was discovered that the force of the storm had pulled the bollards out of the Hallett Dock No. 5, thus releasing the ships.

On July 12, 1958, Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd.'s FRANK A. SHERMAN entered service, departing Port Weller Dry Docks, for Duluth and a load of iron ore on its maiden voyage.

On 12 July 1871, ADVANCE (wooden scow-schooner, 49 tons, built in 1847, at Fairport, Ohio), was bound for Detroit from Cleveland with a load of coal. She and the steamer U S GRANT collided near South Bass Island (Put-in-Bay) in Lake Erie and ADVANCE sank. Her crew escaped in the yawl.

On 12 July 1852, CITY OF OSWEGO (wooden propeller passenger-package freight vessel, 138 foot, 357 tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo, New York) collided with the steamer AMERICA and sank off Willoughby, Ohio, a few miles east of Cleveland. 15 lives were lost. This was CITY OF OSWEGO's first season of operation.

On 12 July 1889, T.H. ORTON (wooden barge, 262 gross tons, built in 1873, at Buffalo, New York) anchored off Marblehead, Ohio on Lake Erie to ride out a storm. She dragged her anchors and was driven ashore where she was declared a total wreck. She was recovered and just two years later, at the same place, this incident was repeated.

190:9 The ore laden JOHN B. COWLE (i) was struck amidships by the ISAAC M. SCOTT off Whitefish Point, Lake Superior, and sank with the reported loss of 11 lives.

1917: GEORGE N. ORR was wrecked at Savage Point in the Strait of Northumberland, Prince Edward Island, on her way to New York City and wartime saltwater service. The vessel had been cut in two and towed from the lakes to be rejoined at Montreal.

1969: The deep-sea tug MISSISSIPPI arrived at Bilbao, Spain, with the lakers DONNACONA (ii) and BEN E. TATE, for scrapping.

1977: The stern section of the former canaller BIRCHTON was raised at Halifax after the two parts, which had been created for use as pontoons in the construction of offshore drilling platforms, sank at the dock.

1985: MONTY PYTHON first visited the Great Lakes as a) MONTE ZALAMA in 1970. It returned as b) MONTY PYTHON after being renamed in 1985. The ship drifted aground in the St. Lawrence off La Ronde while loading scrap at Montreal and had to be lightered to P.S. BARGE NO. 1 before floating free on July 18. This saltwater vessel was sold for scrap before the year was out and arrived at Dalian, China, on November 3, 1985, to be dismantled.



Longboats pull in for overnight stay this week

7/12 - In the days of sailing ships, a vessel would carry several ship's boats for various uses. One would be a longboat, an open boat to be rowed by eight or ten oarsmen, two per thwart.

The longboat was double banked, its rowing benches were designed to accommodate two men each pulling an oar on opposite sides. The longboat would have fairly fine lines aft to permit its use in steep waves such as surf or wind against tide where need be. Like other ships' boats, the longboat could be rigged for sailing but was primarily a pulling boat.

This summer, a flotilla consisting of seven longboats, a schooner and a brigantine will re-enact Mulcaster's mission on the St Lawrence, re-enacting the efforts of the forces stationed along the St. Lawrence River during the dark days of 1813 and the successful invasions of Upper Canada.

This flotilla will be sailing downriver from Bath to Upper Canada Village, ending at the bicentennial battle re-enactment of the Battle of Crysler's Farm July 13-14.

The sailors will row/sail in open boats and come ashore each evening to set up canvas tents and prepare their meals, only to repeat the process each day until the trip is complete, this in tribute to the iron men who saved the colony by their herculean efforts on this very same ground 200 years ago.



Burger Boat to hire 50 to build research ship to replace Grayling

7/12 - Manitowoc, Wis. – Burger Boat Co. expects to add up to 50 jobs to build a large fisheries research vessel for the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Government Accountability Office had upheld the awarding to Burger a $5.59 million contract for the 78-foot, steel-hulled Grayling with an expected launch into the Manitowoc River in fall 2014, Kurt Newman of the USGS’s Great Lakes Science Center said Wednesday.

Protests filed in April by one or more losing bidders prompted a GAO review of the contract.

“I was very impressed with the package Burger Boat provided and I just think we made the right decision all-around,” said Newman, branch chief of the Western Basic Ecosytem of USGS.

Ron Cleveringa, Burger Boat’s vice president of sales and marketing, said the new hires would be in all shipbuilding trades including metal working, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, paint and joiner.

“In about three months we should start cutting metal,” Cleveringa said, noting production will commence after final design approval by USGS.

The new ship will replace the existing 38-year-old Grayling and is expected to have a 40- to 50-year service life. Among crew members’ tasks will be dragging nets along the lake bottom, catching fish, and using sound waves to detect fish and assess their abundance.

Cleveringa said the 150-year-old company will reach out to former employees to see which ones would like to work on the project

Green Bay Press Gazette

[yachtsmanwilly]

Pere Marquette 41 continues to earn her keep in tramp trade

7/14 - An historic vessel operating in her second life loaded Saturday at the Lafarge aggregate dock on Lake Erie's Marblehead Peninsula. PM 41 - now a barge - began her life on the Great Lakes less than a year before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor - hauling passengers, rail cars, trucks and autos across Lake Michigan from Ludington.

Known originally as the City of Midland, the PM 41 was owned by the Pere Marquette Railroad. Acquired by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, her sailing days as a ferry ended in 1985 when the C & O halted cross-lake ferry service.

Ultimately reduced to a barge and acquired by her current owners, Pere Marquette Shipping Co., of Ludington, the PM 41 and her companion tug Undaunted are the closest thing to a tramp steamer that can be found on the Lakes. Long gone are the days when lakes boat moved from port to port delivering and picking up varied cargo at lakefront communities.

Since the opening of the 1998 shipping season the pair have plodded along carving a niche for themselves on lakes Michigan and Huron, from ice-out to ice-in each year. Cargo runs the gamut from scrap steel to stone; often loads that no other vessel can handle.

Saturday offered a good example of the life being lived by crews working aboard the PM 41 and Undaunted: Take on a load of stone at Marblehead for delivery to Charlevoix, Michigan. The run to the picturesque northwest Michigan community best known for the wealth of its summer residents and as one of author Ernest Hemingway's youthful haunts, will be completed late Monday afternoon.

Once in port, the specially designed and fabricated unloading gear aboard the PM 41 will place the stone on a dock and she will put her bow - still that of a cross-lake ferry circa-1940 - back into Lake Michigan's chilly water, bound for the next harbor in which the dispatcher in Ludington has a cargo awaiting pick-up.

Saturday night, PM 41 was docked in Trenton, Mich. in the lower Detroit River’s Trenton Channel.

Jim Spencer




Today in Great Lakes History - July 14

The AMERICAN REPUBLIC (Hull#724) was launched July 14, 1980, by the Bay Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for the American Steamship Co. She was renamed b) GREAT REPUBLIC in 2011.

While upbound in the St. Lawrence River on July 14, 1970, for Saginaw, Michigan, with a load of pig iron from Sorel, Quebec, the EASTCLIFFE HALL, of 1954, grounded in mud near Chrysler Shoal six miles above Massena, New York, at 03:00 hours but was able to free herself. A few hours later, approaching Cornwall, Ontario, she struck a submerged object and sank within a few minutes in 70 feet of water only 650 feet from the point of impact. The submerged object was believed to be an old aid to navigation light stand. Nine lives were lost. Divers determined that her back was broken in two places. After salvaging part of the cargo, her cabins were leveled and her hull was filled.

In 1988, the JOHN T. HUTCHINSON and tow mate CONSUMERS POWER passed through the Panama Canal heading for the cutter’s torch in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

On 14 July 1908, MENTOR (wooden propeller tug, 53 foot, 23 gross tons, built in 1882, at Saugatuck, Michigan) burned south of Chicago, Illinois. No lives lost. Her original name was HATTIE A. FOX.

On 14 July 1891, T H ORTON (wooden barge, 262 gross tons, built in 1873, at Buffalo, New York) anchored off Marblehead, Ohio, on Lake Erie to ride out a storm. She dragged her anchors and was driven ashore where she was declared a total wreck. She may have been recovered though. Just two years earlier, this vessel went through a similar incident at the same spot.

1891: ATHABASCA and PONTIAC collided head-on in the Sugar Island Channel of the St. Marys River and the latter settled on the bottom. The former arrived at Sault Ste. Marie, with wreckage draped across her bow. Both ships were repaired and returned to service.

1931: The bulk canaller TEAKBAY hit a rock in the Brockville Narrows of the St. Lawrence and went aground while enroute from Sandusky to Quebec City with coal. It was refloated but was listing and in need of repairs.

1964: DANIEL PIERCE, a former Great Lakes tanker, ran aground at Guanica, Puerto Rico. The ship was leaking sulphuric acid into the bilges mixing with salt water. The town was evacuated due to the potential for an explosion. The hull was condemned and eventually scrapped.

1966: The Israeli freighter ELAT, on her second trip to the Great Lakes, and LEMOYNE were in a collision near Lock 2 of the Welland Canal, with only minor damage. ELAT arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for scrapping by September 7, 1982, while LEMOYNE was broken up at Santander, Spain, in 1969.

1993: CALCITE II lost steering and ran aground in the Amherstburg Channel of the Detroit River. The ship was lightered, released with the help of the tugs PATRICIA HOEY, OREGON and STORMONT and, after unloading at Ecorse, headed for Toledo to be repaired.



U.S.-Flag cargo movement on Lakes up 2.3 percent in June

7/13 - Cleveland, Ohio – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) carried 10.1 million tons of dry-bulk cargo in June, a virtual repeat of the preceding month, and an increase of 2.3 percent compared to the corresponding period last year. The June float was, however, down 2.9 percent from the month’s long-term average.

U.S.-flag lakers moved 4.6 million tons of iron ore in June, 76.1 percent of all ore moving on the Lakes/Seaway that month. The 4.6 million tons represent a 2-percent decrease compared to a year ago, and a drop of 2.6 percent compared to the months long-term average.

Coal shipments in U.S. hulls totaled 2 million tons, an increase of 18 percent compared to a year ago, but a decrease of 12 percent compared to the month’s long-term average.

The 3 million tons of limestone hauled by U.S.-flag lakers in June represent 82.1 percent of the trade month and a repeat of a year ago.

Through June, the U.S.-flag float stands at 32.7 million tons, a decrease of 4.6 percent compared to a year ago. Iron ore cargos are down by 6 percent. Coal loadings trail last year by 4.5 percent. Shipments of limestone are 1.6 percent off last year’s pace.

Lake Carriers Association

[yachtsmanwilly]

Today in Great Lakes History - July 15

July 15, 1991 - The Spanish, 1975-built, 7,311 gross ton, ocean motor bulk carrier MILANOS, anchored in the Detroit River since July 2, began the long slow trip home. Auxiliar de Transporte Maritimos, the ship’s owners, decided it would be cheaper to tow the crippled ship home for repairs rather than have the repairs performed locally. The ship's engine seized after the crankshaft broke. She departed Detroit, bound for Montreal under tow of Malcolm Marine's TUG MALCOLM and McKeil's tug ARGUE MARTIN. The tow passed down the Seaway on July 19.

On July 15, 1961, the d.) WALTER A. STERLING, now f.) LEE A. TREGURTHA), entered service on the Great Lakes for Cleveland Cliffs Steamship Co., after conversion from a T-3 tanker. The next day, on July 16, 1961, the d.) PIONEER CHALLENGER, now f.) AMERICAN VICTORY, entered service for the Pioneer Steamship Co (Hutchinson & Co., mgr.).

The CHICAGO TRADER was launched as a.) THE HARVESTER (Hull#391) at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. in 1911, for the Wisconsin Steel Co.

In 1946, the NORISLE (Hull#136) was launched at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for the Dominion & Owen Sound Transportation Co. Ltd.

In 1934, the ANN ARBOR NO 4 collided with the steamer N. F. LEOPOLD in a heavy fog.

On Saturday, 15 July 1871, an argument between Captain James Bradley and Mate John Reed started while the schooner ROBERT EMMETT was docked at Erie, Pennsylvania unloading iron ore. They were still shouting at each other as the ship sailed out of the harbor. In short order, the ship turned around and anchored in the harbor. At 3 the following morning, Reed rowed ashore, went directly to the police station and charged that Capt. Bradley had assaulted him with a knife. At dawn, as the police were on their way to question Capt. Bradley, they found him stepping ashore from the deck of a tug, fuming that Reed had stolen the ship's only small boat. Bradley and Reed were at each other again and the police arrested both men. Bradley then filed charges against Reed for mutiny, assault and theft of the ship's boat. The case went to court the very next day. Justice of the Peace Foster saw his courtroom packed with curious sailors and skippers. Reed and Bradley were both still fuming and after listening to just a little testimony, Foster found both men guilty, fined them both and ordered both to pay court costs. The matter didn't end there since Reed later had to get a court order to get his personal belongings off the EMMETT. There is no record of what the disagreement was that started this whole mess.

The iron side-wheel steamer DARIUS COLE (201 foot, 538 gross tons) was launched at the Globe Iron Works (Hull #10) in Cleveland, Ohio on 15 July 1885. During her career, she had two other names b.) HURON 1906 - 1921, and c.) COLONIAL 1921 - 1925. She burned off Barcelona, New York, on Lake Erie on 1 September 1925, while on an excursion. The hull was beached and later towed to Dunkirk, New York, for scrapping.

1885: The rail car ferry LANSDOWNE and the CLARION were in a collision on the Detroit River.

1895: CIBOLA caught fire and burned at the dock at Lewiston, NY, with the loss of one life. The hull was towed to Toronto and used in a fill project.

1943: GEORGE M. HUMPHREY sank off Old Point Mackinac Light following a collision with the D.M. CLEMSON. The ship was salvaged in 1944 and rebuilt at Sturgeon Bay as b) CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN in 1945 and became c) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1948 and d) CONSUMERS POWER in 1958.

1977: The ore- laden CADILLAC went aground in the St. Marys River after missing a turn in fog. It was released the next day with the help of 3 tugs.

1986: The C.S.L. self-unloader MANITOULIN went aground at Sandusky, off Cedar Point, after losing power. The ship was released with the help of tugs.

1998: LITA hit the knuckle at the Eisenhower Lock and sustained damage to the starboard side. The vessel later hit bottom of the channel near the Snell Lock but there was no additional damage. The ship was enroute from Toledo to Algeria. The 11,121 gross ton saltwater vessel was still in service as of 2012.




Ex-Canadian Miner remains slowly falling apart

7/15 - Main-A-Dieu, Nova Scotia – Its been almost 22 months since the former lakes and Seaway vessel Canadian Miner ran aground on Scatarie Island, and slowly, the Atlantic is washing it away.

Bateston resident Josephine Kennedy visited the site recently and took some photos that illustrate the growing damage to the vessel. "She's there and Mother Nature will take care of it," said Kennedy, who's also a provincial Liberal candidate in the Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg riding.

"If you recall in the fall when it happened, in 2011, Dexter (said) ... It's going to be removed, we're going to move (it) and then nothing. It seems like the buck is being passed around and that the feds aren't taking any ownership of the ship being there.

"We don't hear too much on it any more."

The Greek ocean-going tug Hellas was towing the Canadian Miner on Sept. 20, 2011, when its line broke free and the ship ran aground on the shores of Scatarie Island, a provincially protected wilderness area. The province has maintained the wreck is a federal responsibility while Ottawa has indicated it poses no hazard to either navigation or the environment.

A New York-based salvage company attempted a salvage job but the company walked away, claiming government bureaucratic hurdles.

The wreck may be a federal responsibility but even which department is responsible is up for debate, said provincial Natural Resources spokesman Bruce Nunn.

"Not sure, bit of a combination Fisheries and Oceans, the Coast Guard, and the federal department of Transportation are supposed to oversee the required permissions for ships to tow other ships in Canadian waters," he said.

"Environment Canada is another one. I think Environment Canada would care about the environmental impact on the ocean, Fisheries and Oceans Canada would care about the impact on the wildlife within the ocean; Transportation Canada should care. ... They're supposed to be in charge of granting approvals in towing vessels. The Coast Guard should care as well. All of those agencies should be involved.

"Our role in it is that it simply happens to be a protected area, that island, a provincial protected area, so when their ship ends up there it's not supposed to be there because you're not supposed to have that kind of thing in a protected area. That's why the premier has been asking the federal government to act, to see that the ship gets removed but it hasn't happened yet."

In a news release issued by Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada back in October 2011, it stated:

"The federal government will continue to investigate and monitor to ensure its roles are fulfilled. Should the Canadian Miner pose any future environmental hazard or threat to navigation, responsible departments of the Government of Canada will act quickly and decisively."

Transport Canada is now monitoring the Miner's location. According to Steve Bone, Transport Canada's area manager for communications and marketing, the vessel is not causing any problems at this time.

"Transport Canada’s role is to ensure that Canada's waterways provide safe navigation to marine vessels, and are free of ship-source pollution," said Bone in an email statement. "At this time, Miner is not blocking navigation nor is it leaking ship-source pollution. Should the vessel become a marine pollution hazard or a significant obstruction to navigation, Transport Canada will act with appropriate action within its mandate."

Bone re-iterated that the owner not Transport Canada is responsible for removing stranded vessels but that monitoring would continue.

"Transport Canada continues to monitor the Scatarie Island area for pollution as part of ongoing routine flights by the National Aerial Surveillance Program."

While it doesn't look like the Canadian Miner will be moving any time soon, Kennedy wonders if it had run aground elsewhere if things would be different.

"I think a lot of the reason there's no political will to move it is that it's basically sight unseen and as far as you go from the main part of the mainland," said Kennedy.

"I'm curious if it had landed on McNab's Island in Halifax since that is a provincially protected island, and we (currently) have one there on Scatarie, (it) would be an interesting question to pose to the powers that be."

Cape Breton Post

[yachtsmanwilly]

First tall ships set out from Saginaw River after four-day celebration

7/16 - Bay City, Mich. – As crews of the 2013 Tall Ship Celebration fleet mopped their decks and prepared to set out on their next voyages, the gaff-rigged topsail schooner Madeline was the first to set off down the Saginaw River about 9 a.m. Monday.

More than 75 people gathered at Wenonah Park’s riverfront to take a last look at the tall ships as they set off toward their next location.

Although Event Coordinator Shirley Roberts predicted the ships would set off early Monday, around 6 or 7 a.m., crew members were still mulling about their ships, coffee cups in hand.

Trainees and crew members could be seen on the gaff-rigged topsail schooner Unicorn in sleeping bags chatting and reading books early in the morning, but by 8 a.m. flags were being hosted and ship crews were gathering to speak with their captains before getting to work prepping their vessel.

Trainees mopped the deck of the full four-square rigged Sørlandet in a synchronized fashion, while members of the square topsail schooner Pride of Baltimore II gathered their signs from the dock.

“The work never really ends,” said Sørlandet able-bodied seaman Dan Cleveland, 26, of St. Louis, as he directed trainees on board washing the deck. Cleveland said the ship could have left first thing in the morning, but the crew needed to make sure the boat was well cleaned.

Cleveland said many would be disappointed that the ships were not sailing out of the Saginaw River but would rather use their motors. The next race from Thunder Bay in Canada for the tall ships might also be a little lackluster, thanks to calmer winds, he said.

Mlive




EX-USCG cutter Storis museum’s dream in peril

7/16 - Toledo, Ohio – The fate of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Storis, which was built in Toledo, finally appeared settled in early June after six years of uncertainty.

The Storis, one of America's most accomplished and longest-serving vessels, was on the verge of returning home to Toledo to become the site of an educational and historical museum. Now, however, the ship seems headed to another end: The scrapyard.

But not if the Storis Museum can help it.

The Storis’ nearly 65-year run began on April 4, 1942, when it plunged into the water at the Toledo Shipbuilding Co. yards.

Its most notable achievement came in 1957 when it was one of three ships that were the first American vessels to circumnavigate North America via the Northwest Passage.

The ship served in the Atlantic Ocean in World War II, protected the Alaskan coast from Soviet threats during the Cold War, and spent much of its later years performing search and rescue operations and fisheries enforcement before it was decommissioned in 2007. Its impressive career earned it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 31, 2012.

But the Storis was sold by the General Services Administration to an unidentified buyer — most likely the head of a scrapping company — at auction for $70,100 on June 27, despite the nonprofit Storis Museum's efforts since 2007 to secure the ship through both congressional and administrative means.

Storis Museum President Jim Loback said he found out June 7 the ship would go to auction. Before that, he thought his organization, which is based in Juneau, would have an opportunity to acquire the ship from the GSA, which was told by the Coast Guard it could start the disposal process in May.

“It was surprising because [the GSA] told me that they were all working to see if there was some way to give us the ship and then they put it up for auction,” said Mr. Loback, 81, who served on the Storis in 1956 and 1957.

According to the GSA, the disposal process consists of screening the vessel for possible transfer to federal and state agencies as well as eligible nonprofit organizations. If no eligible recipients express interest, the vessel could be sold publicly.

Mr. Loback said when he asked why the ship was put to auction, he was told his organization did not qualify for transfer because GSA rules state that a museum must be owned and operating for one year with at least one full-time paid employee to be an eligible nonprofit group. Mr. Loback, who resides in Fountain Valley, Calif., said that creates a troublesome situation.

“That's kind of a dumb rule for a ship because you're going to use the ship as a museum, and that's going to be the house and everything else for it,” he said.

There was even more confusion after the auction, because the reserve — the undisclosed minimum amount of money set prior to an auction that's needed for a bid to be accepted — wasn't met.

Mr. Loback said he hoped this would mean more time for the Storis Museum to raise funds to purchase the vessel in a second auction with a lower reserve. However, the June 27 bid was still accepted to save taxpayer dollars and deter future government costs, according to an emailed statement from GSA regional public affairs officer Saudia Muwwakkil.

The buyer will have 10 business days to take the vessel once a certificate of financial responsibility is submitted and approved. The Storis currently sits in Suisun Bay in northern California, where the ship has been since its decommissioning.

Now the only hope for the Storis Museum to save the ship is through the winning bidder. The GSA has not released the bidder's name per privacy laws, but Mr. Loback said he was contacted by the winner about buying the ship. Mr. Loback did not wish to identify the bidder for fear of harming negotiations.

The museum had attempted to acquire the ship from 2008-12 through congressional action, but no bill was passed to transfer the ship from the Coast Guard to the Storis Museum, secretary Joe Geldhof said.

“We wanted to get Congress involved and have Congress pass it, because you don't have to deal with the shenanigans of the bureaucrats,” said Mr. Geldhof, 62, a lawyer in Juneau.

As discussions proceeded between the Storis Museum and the GSA in early May, the museum reached out to the Last Patrol, a local nonprofit group formed in 1995 that has tried unsuccessfully to bring ships for a museum to the Toledo area. On May 16, the Storis Museum and the Last Patrol formed an official legal partnership.

In early June, the two parties agreed the ship would be docked in Toledo, not Juneau, because it was more cost-efficient and because of the Maumee River's fresh water, low tides, and more visitor-appealing location.

“The plan for the ship coming to the Great Lakes was to use it as a museum ship and as a training vessel for the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps. ... We wanted to have the ship back operational to help train the young kids; they range from 10-18,” said John Nowakowski, 49, of Swanton, a former Marine and commanding officer of the Last Patrol.

All that was left was transferring the ship from the GSA to the Storis Museum, which the museum and the Last Patrol thought would happen once they obtained funds necessary to repair and maintain the ship.

“We kept being told that we had anywhere from six months to a year to get everything in line,” Mr. Nowakowski said. They actually had just a few weeks before the auction.

Mr. Geldhof said he realizes the chances of buying the ship from the winning bidder are not good.

“The Storis is worthy of one last effort and we're going to give it a shot. We'll see how that goes,” Mr. Geldhof said. “We haven't given up the ship yet, and until it's actually under the torch, cut up, we'll keep trying to save it.”

Toledo Blade




Today in Great Lakes History - July 16

DETROIT EDISON, of 1955, departed Quebec City July 16th 1986, along with former fleet mate SHARON, in tow of the U.S. tug PRUDENT, to Brownsville, Texas for scrapping.

The SAGINAW BAY departed Quebec City on July 16, 1985, in tandem with the E.B. BARBER, towed by the Polish tug KORAL for scrapping at Vigo, Spain.

NORTHERN VENTURE, a.) VERENDRYE of 1944, entered Great Lakes service July 16, 1961, upbound light for the Canadian lake head to load grain.

On July 16, 1935, the BRUCE HUDSON capsized on Lake Ontario off Cobourg, Ontario, while in tow of the wooden-hulled tug MUSCALLONGE.

Keel-laying of the CHI-CHEEMAUN (Hull#205) was on July 16, 1973, at Collingwood, Ontario by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd. for Ontario Northland Transport Commission.

CATARACT (wooden propeller, 15 foot', 352 tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo) caught fire on 16 July 1861, 5 miles off Erie, Pennsylvania. She became an inferno astern in just a few minutes and this prevented her boats from being launched. Four died. Some were saved by clinging to floating wreckage and some others were rescued by a small fishing boat. The schooner ST PAUL picked up some survivors. Among those picked up by Captain Mosher of the ST PAUL, were Captain McNally and the CATARACT's carpenter. Capt. Mosher had rescued these same two men in 1858, when the propeller INDIANA was lost in Lake Superior.

On 16 July 1873, the new barge MINNEAPOLIS was towed to Detroit for outfitting. She had just been launched four days earlier at Marine City, Michigan. While on the way to Detroit, a Canadian man named Sinclair fell overboard and drowned. On 16 July 1874, The Port Huron Times reported that "the old steamer REINDEER has been rebuilt to a barge by L. C. Rogers at H. C. Schnoor's shipyard at Fair Haven, [Michigan]. Her beautiful horns have been taken down, [she carried a set of large antlers], her machinery and cumbersome side-wheels removed, and she has been fully refitted with center arch and deck frame complex."

July 16, 1961, the PIONEER CHALLENGER entered service. Built in 1943, as a T-3 tanker a.) MARQUETTE, renamed b.) U.S.S. NESCHANIC (AO-71) in 1943, c.) GULFOIL in 1947, d.) PIONEER CHALLENGER in 1961, e.) MIDDLETOWN in 1962, and f.) AMERICAN VICTORY in 2006.

1911 ¬ MAINE, upbound with a load of coal, caught fire in the St. Clair River and was run aground on the Canadian shore. The crew escaped.

1958 ¬ The Swedish freighter ERHOLM and the FRANK ARMSTRONG of the Interlake fleet were in a collision in northern Lake St. Clair with minor damage to both ships. ERHOLM had earlier been a Great Lakes caller as a) ERLAND and later came through the Seaway in 1959-1960. It returned inland again in 1961 and 1962 as c) OTIS. The ship arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping as h) DIMITRA K. on August 25, 1980.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Wisconsin shipwreck placed on national registry

7/17 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – A Door County shipwreck is one of three Lake Michigan wrecks being added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The remains of the wooden bulk carrier Australasia are located approximately 800 feet southeast of the Whitefish Dunes State Park beach. At the time of its launch in 1884, the ship was the largest wooden vessel built on the Great Lakes. The Australasia was the product of master shipbuilder and successful maritime entrepreneur Captain James Davidson, of Bay City, Mich.

Designed to tow one or more schooner barges, the Australasia moved immense bulk cargoes across the Great Lakes so efficiently that it successfully competed with larger, more modern steel ships at a time when wooden vessels were quickly becoming obsolete. On Oct. 17, 1896, the Australasia caught fire near Baileys Harbor and was scuttled in 15 feet of water south of Cave Point in Whitefish Bay.

Declared a total loss, the vessel’s cargo and machinery were salvaged, but the rest of the hull was abandoned and forgotten until its recent rediscovery. Mostly buried in sand, the Australasia wreck site provides vast opportunities for further documentation and discovery on how one of the Great Lakes’ greatest shipbuilders pushed the known limits of wooden vessel construction.

The other new additions are the America, located four miles offshore and eight miles south southeast of Kewaunee, and the EMBA (for Employees’ Mutual Benefit Association) in Milwaukee County.

To learn more about the state and national register programs in Wisconsin, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org/hp.

Door County Advocate



Calm weather slows Lake Michigan yacht race

7/17 - Mackinac Island, Mich. - Thousands of sailors on more than three hundred yachts are sailing across the Great Lakes to Mackinac Island.

The 105th Chicago to Mackinac Race started Saturday and now teams are beginning to arrive at the finish line, but so far it's been a slow start.

"It's glass flat out there, so it's going to be a long race," Chicago Yacht Club Race Officer Janet Crabb said.

It has been called one of the slowest races in the event's history. Calm winds have made it difficult for even the best sailing teams.

"The wind was almost non-existent and from there to here in there have been little puffs of breeze that everybody has wished for and a few have gotten it and we were lucky enough to get a few and here we are," Yacht racer Gene McCarthy said.

McCarthy just completed his 60th Chicago to Mackinac race. He and his team can relax now that they have docked up at the marina. "The magic of this island is the reason we all like to come here," McCarthy said.

Even though it is a slow start at the finish line, they are still expecting a large crowd.

"They come in frequently to our hotels, restaurants, and bars," Chippewa Hotel General Manger Brian Bailey said. "It's one great big party up here, everyone's in a good mood, there is a lot of energy going on and they are just appear to have a great time after spending two to three days on the water."

Three hundred boats will finish the race. And it is estimated that more than four thousand people will come to the island just for this event.

UpNorthLive


Low Great Lakes levels raise concerns for Midwest power plants

7/17 - Low water levels in the Great Lakes pose potential operating and efficiency problems for Midwest power plants. It’s one of several ways power plants are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather, an issue recently highlighted in a Department of Energy report.

Several plants in the Midwest have already had to take action in response to water-related conditions. Others must monitor conditions carefully to avoid being left high and dry.

Michigan’s Cloverland Electric Cooperative knew it had a problem last year. Output at its hydroelectric plant at Sault Ste. Marie kept dropping dramatically before bouncing back up.

“We experienced about a 60-80 percent drop in the plant’s output,” says Phil Schmitigal, Cloverland’s Director of Generation.

The problem wasn’t inside the 36-megawatt plant, but outside in the St. Marys River, which connects Lake Superior with the lower Great Lakes. Cloverland’s plant draws river water in from a 2-1/4 mile long canal that runs from near Ashmun Bay on the west to downstream of the MacArthur Lock on the east.

Lower levels in Lake Superior reduced the canal’s water allocation from the International Joint Commission. The lower lake levels also reduced the river’s level at Cloverland’s discharge area. Low water levels there were letting air into the system. As a result, the plant’s underwater turbines couldn’t run properly.

“If air enters the draft tubes, it reduces the head pressure, which reduces the power output,” explains Schmitigal.

A temporary fix for Cloverland’s operating problem cost $300,000. In October and November, workers lowered 2,000-pound concrete bricks into the water under three dozen of the plant’s arches. Divers fit the blocks together like Legos to make a series of temporary weirs, or dams. The project raised water levels for discharge pits on the plant’s west side, where the highest-output turbines run.

“The weirs kept our plant operational, especially this winter, when Lakes Michigan-Huron set record low levels,” says Schmitigal. “If the lake levels dropped another 6 inches or so, we would have needed to install a more substantial weir.”

Cloverland’s water woes are part of a bigger problem.

“Water levels on Lake Superior, Michigan and Huron are and have been for the past 15 years below their long-term average,” says hydrologist Drew Gronewold at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Indeed, data from NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory show that Lakes Michigan and Huron hit a record low this past winter. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario have been “hovering” around their long-term average, says Gronewold.

Hydropower plants like Cloverland’s obviously depend on the water sources feeding into them. Thus, it’s not surprising that lower water levels could cause problems.

Previously, such problems have been rare. The last time Cloverland had a similar problem was in 1923. At that time, it extended the plant’s draft tubes down an extra foot.

Because of climate change, however, many power plants are now vulnerable, and hydropower plants aren’t the only ones facing trouble.

Midwest generating plants that use nuclear energy, coal, or gas boil water to make steam that runs generators. Then they use more water to condense the steam for reuse.

Facilities along the Great Lakes typically use pumps to draw cooling water from the lakes into the plant.

“Those pumps will require a certain amount of suction head that’s above the water level of the pipe,” notes Kent Zammit, Senior Program Manager for water and environmental matters at the Electric Power Research Institute. In extreme cases, a drop in water levels could let vapor form and cause the water pump’s impeller to shake violently.

“You usually have quite a bit of leeway before you start running into this problem,” says Zammit. Power plant designs generally anticipate a variety of high and low-water level conditions over several decades.

Temperature is a bigger problem.

“As you lower water levels, you tend to see increased temperatures,” says Zammit. As a result, power plants draw in warmer water.

“Lake temperature does have a significant impact on our efficiency,” notes spokesperson Bill Schalk at Indiana Michigan Power’s Cook Nuclear Plant. There would have to be “a drastic change” before the plant couldn’t operate or faced safety problems.

Nonetheless, he adds, lower efficiency reduces the facility’s output. That, in turn, raises the cost per megawatt, though Schalk said the company doesn’t release specifics.

Drawing in warmer water for cooling can also raise the discharge temperature for both nuclear and fossil fuel plants, notes Zammit. Consequently, plants can have problems complying with permits from state environmental agencies. Permits generally have seasonal temperature limits to protect fish and other organisms living near water discharge points.

Schalk says Cook Nuclear Plant currently has “enough margin” to comply with its permit. Nonetheless, all power plants that discharge cooling water need to monitor its temperature.

If problems do arise, one option would be to ask the state environmental agency for a variance—a temporary exception to the permit terms. In July 2012, four coal-fired plants and four nuclear plants sought and obtained permission from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to discharge hotter water than their permits allowed.

Another possible solution, says Zammit, would be temporary towers to provide additional cooling before water goes back into the lake. Discharge water would be cooler, but additional evaporation would occur. The net result would be less water returning to the lake.

Ignoring the situation entirely could make power plants liable for penalties of up to $37,500 per day under the Clean Water Act.

With one-fifth of the world’s surface fresh water, the Great Lakes won’t dry up anytime soon. Nonetheless, lake levels are lower because rainfall and other inputs lag behind evaporation and other outputs.

Midwest Energy News




Today in Great Lakes History - July 17

On this day in 1902, the JAMES H. HOYT, the first boat with hatches constructed at 12-foot centers, loaded 5,250 tons of iron ore in 30.5 minutes on her maiden voyage. Several days later, the cargo was unloaded at Conneaut in three hours and 52 minutes.

On this day in 1961, the C&P dock in Cleveland set a new unloading record when they removed more than 15,000 tons of ore from the holds of the E. G. GRACE in 3 hours and 20 minutes.

The ASHCROFT was towed out of Quebec City on July 17, 1969, in tandem with the steamer SIR THOMAS SHAUGHNESSY by the Polish tug JANTAR for scrapping at Castellon, Spain.

The BROOKDALE, of 1909, lost her self-unloading boom overboard in the Detroit River during a wind and rainstorm on July 17, 1980, while loading salt at the Canadian Rock Salt Dock at Ojibway, Ontario.

The Cleveland Tanker's COMET was towed from Toledo to Ashtabula, Ohio, on July 17, 1973, where she was broken up during the summer and fall of 1973.

WILLIAM J. FILBERT was launched in 1907, as a.) WILLIAM M. MILLS (Hull#348) at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Weston Transit Co. (William M. Mills, mgr.).

On her last trip, the COLONEL JAMES PICKANDS arrived at Cleveland, Ohio on July 17, 1974, with a load of iron ore.

Mohawk Navigation's GOLDEN HIND loaded her first dry bulk cargo on July 17, 1954. She had been rebuilt from the Imperial Oil Ltd.'s tanker a.) IMPERIAL WOODBEND.

On 17 July 1856, TINTO (wooden propeller, 135 foot, built in 1855-56, at Sorel, Quebec) caught fire and burned to a total loss only 2 miles from shore. She was between Snake Island and Nine Mile Point on Lake Ontario. 18 lives were lost. The survivors jumped into the water and were picked up by a boat from shore. A newspaper article stated that she had no lifeboat aboard. Her machinery was later recovered and installed in the AVON.

On 17 July 1883, B PARSONS (2-mast wooden schooner, 218 tons, built in 1856, at Vermilion, Ohio) struck the north pier while entering the harbor at Charlevoix, Michigan during a gale. She sank crosswise in the channel and blocked passage into the harbor for two weeks until she broke up enough to allow vessels to pass. In December, the steam tug S S COE towed the hulk a half mile down the beach and abandoned it.

The Canada Steamship Line's HAMONIC burned at her pier at Point Edward bear Sarnia, Ont., on July 17, 1945. A warehouse next to the HAMONIC 's pier burst into flames from a fire that began from a gasoline motor for conveyor equipment being repaired by workmen. The flames and smoke were carried by a breeze to the HAMONIC. Almost in a matter of minutes the HAMONIC was doomed. She was aflame at dockside. The captain and the engineer were able to move the ship down the dock from the raging flames from the warehouse. Many of the passengers were able to get ashore. Some passengers went ashore by climbing into the bucket of a crane, which hoisted them on shore to safety. Every one of the passengers and crew were saved.

1933: SONORA and WILLIAM NELSON were in a collision in the Bar Point Channel, Lake Erie. The two ships were found at equal fault. The former was scrapped at Ashtabula in 1961 while the latter arrived at Bilbao, Spain, for dismantling as c) BEN E. TATE on July 12, 1969.

1989: SHEILA YEATES, a tall-ship visitor to the Great Lakes, hit an ice pack in fog on the North Atlantic and eventually sank 430 miles south of Greenland after an attempt to tow the leaking ship to safety failed. All on board were saved.