Today in Great Lakes History

[Avenger]

Today in Great Lakes History - March 20

On 20 March 1885, MICHIGAN (Hull#48), (iron propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 215 foot, 1,183 tons) of the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railroad was sunk by ice off Grand Haven, Michigan.

The sidewheeler NEW YORK was sold Canadian in 1877, hopefully at a bargain price, because when she was hauled out on the ways on 20 March 1878, at Rathburn's yard in Kingston, Ontario, to have her boiler removed, her decayed hull fell apart and could not be repaired. Her remains were burned to clear the ways.

On 20 March 1883, the E. H. MILLER of Alpena, Michigan (wooden propeller tug, 62 foot, 30 gross tons, built in 1874, at East Saginaw, Michigan) was renamed RALPH. She was abandoned in 1920.

1938: ¬ A fire of an undetermined cause destroyed the passenger steamer CITY OF BUFFALO while it was fitting out for the 1938 season at the East 9th St. Pier in Cleveland The blaze began late the previous day and 11 fire companies responded. The nearby CITY OF ERIE escaped the flames, as did the SEEANDBEE.

2011” ¬ The Indian freighter APJ ANJLI was built in 1982 and began visiting the Great Lakes in 1990. It was sailing as c) MIRACH, and loaded with 25,842 tons of iron ore, when it ran aground 3 miles off the coast of India on March 20, 2011. Four holds were flooded and the crew of 25 was removed. The hull subsequently broke in two and was a total loss.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Coast Guard locks through for icebreaking

3/21 - USCG Sector Sault Saint Marie officials are coordinating ice breaking operations on Lake Superior in preparation for the 2014 Shipping Season. The Coast Guard Cutters Mackinaw, Katmai Bay, and Morro Bay transited up bound through the Sault Locks this morning. These USCG Ice breakers are initially scheduled to work in the Upper St. Marys River, Whitefish Bay, and Eastern Lake Superior. They will also conduct ice breaking operations in vicinity of the Presque Isle Harbor iron ore dock in Marquette as they transit to Western Lake Superior. Although not limited to a specific area, the Ice Breakers will focus their activities to the charted Lake Carriers Association (LCA) track lines. These icebreaking efforts will expand and increase in frequency as the ice and demands of shipping require. This will include all navigable waters in and around the ports of Duluth and Superior, as well as the waters of Silver Bay, Taconite Harbor and Two Harbors in Minnesota.

The 240’ CGC Mackinaw is the only U.S. heavy ice breaking resource assigned to the Great Lakes and is home-ported in Cheboygan, Michigan. CGC Katmai Bay, home-ported in Sault Ste Marie, MI and CGC Morro Bay home-ported in Cleveland, OH are 140' Icebreaking Tugs.






Icebreaking to begin along the Seaway; Canadian cutter headed to lakes

3/21 - Montreal, Que. – The Canadian Coast Guard is advising residents and visitors near the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Seaway that annual spring icebreaking operations will begin on or around March 21 on the following schedule:

The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Martha L. Black, icebreaker, will enter the Seaway via the St. Lambert Locks (Quebec) on March 21 and make its way up the St. Lawrence River.

The CCGS Martha L. Black will be icebreaking in the Brockville (Ontario) area on or about March 22-23 and will proceed to Lake Ontario, where it will then assist with harbor breakouts in Picton (Ontario) and Bath (Ontario). Once these harbors have been opened, the Martha L. Black will return downriver to assist with shipping in anticipation of the official opening of the Seaway, currently scheduled for March 31.

The CCGS Pierre Radisson will enter the Seaway on March 24, making its way to the Great Lakes to provide additional icebreaking capacity to the area.

The Canadian Coast Guard strongly recommends that fishermen and snowmobilers and other recreational users leave the ice immediately if they see an icebreaker in the vicinity. The ice may move or break apart even at a significant distance, creating a hazard for anyone in the area of an icebreaker. All personal property, temporary structures and recreational equipment, should also be moved to shore well before these dates.

All dates and routes are subject to change with little or no notice due to operational requirements or sudden and significant changes to weather and ice conditions.





Port Reports - March 21

St. Marys River
The USCG Mackinaw and Katmai Bay continued to work ice below the locks Thursday.

Escanaba, Mich.
Hon. James L. Oberstar and Roger Blough were loading taconite Thursday night. Wilfred Sykes left earlier in the day and by late evening was downbound off Sturgeon Bay.

Alpena, Mich. - Ben & Chanda McClain
The steamer Alpena made it into Thunder Bay (off Alpena) before being stopped by ice Thursday morning. The tug Manitou arrived on the scene before noon and started breaking ice and making a track for the Alpena throughout the day. Progress was made slowly with the heavy ice conditions. Alpena will hopefully tie up at Lafarge sometime on Friday.

Straits of Mackinac - Robert Bemben
Thursday morning the USCG cutters Biscayne Bay and Mobile Bay began an eastbound escort of the Samuel deChamplain, pushing the barge Innovation, southwest of Lansing Shoal. By 10 p.m. Thursday, Biscayne Bay had led the deChamplain through Round Island Passage to the eastern edge. Earlier, Mobile Bay had returned to St. Ignace, where it moored. The escort’s upbound approach into the western edge of the thick ice field on Lake Michigan was at a compass bearing of around 080 degrees towards Lansing Shoal, and this is where the 140-foot-long icebreakers have been focusing their icebreaking activities in recent days. The toughest stretch still appears to be from this western edge to several miles east of White Shoal Light along the new track located north of the LCA track line. Thick pressure ridges and snow on brash ice can bind up a ships hull. In tight spots, the Biscayne Bay chose to break a relief track on the south side of the new track. At 10 p.m. Thursday, Biscayne Bay was escorting the westbound Joyce L. Van Enkevort pushing the barge Great Lakes Trader, which had been waiting in ice on the eastbound LCA track line about six miles east of Round Island Passage.





Lookback #124 – Former Wilhelm Nubel sank on March 21, 1970

3/21 - The Wilhelm Nubel was built at Emden, West Germany, and completed in November 1950. The 316 foot, 5 inch long West German owned freighter was equipped with a 4-cylinder turbine engine and could carry 4,100 tons of cargo.

Wilhelm Nubel arrived at Halifax, NS on July 28, 1951, with 3800 tons of potash and was noted as the first German ship to enter that port in the postwar era.

While company running mates Erin Nubel and Otto Nubel were pre-Seaway traders through the old St. Lawrence Canals, Wilhelm Nubel was too large and had to wait until the Seaway opened in 1959 to make its one and only appearance on the Great Lakes.

The vessel was sold to Cia Naviera Vlanasty S.A. in 1961 and registered in Lebanon, first as Aghios Gerassimos and, later in the year as San Gerasimos.

A fire in the engine room resulted in machinery failure during heavy weather on the Ionian Sea in March 1970. An attempt by the 21-year-old Greek tanker Stavros E. to tow the ship to safety failed and San Gerasimos sank 44 years ago today on March 21, 1970. The vessel was carrying a cargo of maize from Galatz, Romania, to Lisbon, Portugal, when it was lost, and there are no reports of any casualties.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - March 21

The c.) CHEMICAL MAR of 1966 sustained severe damage when sulfuric acid leaked into the pump room while she was discharging her cargo at the island of Curacao on March 21, 1982. Flooding occurred later and the vessel was declared a constructive total loss. She was scrapped at Brownsville, Texas in 1983. From 1979 until 1981, CHEMICAL MAR was named b.) COASTAL TRANSPORT for the Hall Corp. of Canada. She never entered the lakes under that name.

NOTRE DAME VICTORY was floated from the drydock on March 21, 1951, three months and two days after she entered the dock, and was rechristened b.) CLIFFS VICTORY.

MARLHILL was launched on March 21, 1908, as a.) HARRY A. BERWIND (Hull#40) at Ecorse, Michigan by Great Lakes Engineering Works for G. A. Tomlinson of Duluth, Minnesota.

Pittsburgh Steamship Co.'s GEORGE F. BAKER was sold to the Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland, Ohio on March 21, 1965, and renamed b) HENRY STEINBRENNER.

On 21 March 1874, the two schooners NORTH STAR and EVENING STAR were launched at Crosthwaite's shipyard in East Saginaw, Michigan. They were both owned by John Kelderhouse of Buffalo, New York.

On 21 March 1853, GENERAL SCOTT (wooden side-wheeler, 105 foot, 64 tons, built in 1852, at Saginaw, Michigan) was tied up to her dock on the Saginaw River when she was crushed beyond repair by ice that flowed down the river during the spring breakup. One newspaper report said that while the vessel was being cleaned up for the new navigation season, a seacock was left open and she sank before the spring breakup.

1959: The retired sidewheel steamer WESTERN STATES, known as S.S. OVERNIGHTER, caught fire while waiting to be scrapped in 1959. The vessel had last sailed in 1950 and had briefly served as a flotel at Tawas, MI, before being sold for scrap. Final demolition of the hull was completed at Bay City later in the year.

1970: The West German freighter WILHELM NUBEL made one trip through the Seaway in 1959. It sustained machinery failure as c) SAN GERASSIMOS following an engine room fire on this date in 1970. The vessel was traveling from Galatz, Romania, to Lisbon, Portugal, with a cargo of maize and had to be abandoned by the crew. While taken in tow by the tanker STAVROS E., the ship sank in heavy weather in the Ionian Sea.

1998: Three crewmembers were killed by phosphine gas when they went to assess flooding damage in #1 hold after the MARIA A. encountered heavy weather on the South Atlantic. The ship, en route from Argentina to Jordan with wheat, put into Paranagua, Brazilfor repairs. The ship had been a Seaway caller as RIGHTEOUS beginning in 1979 and as AFSAR in 1986. While renamed ARIA later in 1998, the British built bulk carrier was never repaired and was either scuttled or scrapped.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Coast Guard locks through for icebreaking

3/22 - USCG Sector Sault Saint Marie officials are coordinating ice breaking operations on Lake Superior in preparation for the 2014 shipping season. The Coast Guard cutters Mackinaw, Katmai Bay and Morro Bay transited up bound through the Sault Locks Friday morning. These icebreakers are initially scheduled to work in the Upper St. Marys River, Whitefish Bay and Eastern Lake Superior. They will also conduct icebreaking operations in vicinity of the Presque Isle Harbor iron ore dock in Marquette as they transit to western Lake Superior. Although not limited to a specific area, the icebreakers will focus their activities to the charted Lake Carriers Association (LCA) track lines. These icebreaking efforts will expand and increase in frequency as the ice and demands of shipping require. This will include all navigable waters in and around the ports of Duluth and Superior, as well as the waters of Silver Bay, Taconite Harbor and Two Harbors in Minnesota.

The 240-foot USCGC Mackinaw is the only U.S. heavy ice breaking resource assigned to the Great Lakes and is homeported in Cheboygan, Michigan. Katmai Bay, home-ported in Sault Ste. Marie, and Morro Bay, homeported in Cleveland, are 140-foot icebreaking tugs.





Port Reports - March 22

Straits of Mackinac – Robert Benben
The Joyce L. Van Enkevort pushing the barge Great Lakes Trader made an impressive run through the ice field on N Lake Michigan late Thursday night. After escorting the Van Enkevort from the eastern edge east of Round Island Passage, the Biscayne Bay radioed at 11:30 pm Thursday that it was hove to just north of the track near St. Helena Island for the night. The Van Enkevort replied that it would make a run westbound as far as it could go before stopping. This turned out to be a very long run – 33 nautical miles beyond the Biscayne Bay. Her position at 6 am was around 6 nm WSW of Lansing Shoal and she was stuck. Biscayne Bay headed west to assist the Van Enkevort, and the next 7 or 8 miles were likely the toughest of the whole transit from Round Island Passage. The track essentially runs a couple of miles WSW down the Rock Island Passage track line from Lansing Shoal then turns more westerly (260 heading) to the point where the charted line from Seul Choix Point tees into the Southerly Limits of Northbound Course line. By 2 pm, the downbound Van Enkevort was making good speed on her own, and the Biscayne Bay was heading back east towards the Straits.

Alpena, Mich. - Ben & Chanda McClain
The tugboat Manitou tied up at Lafarge Thursday night and resumed icebreaking on Friday morning. A track in the ice was made and with the help of the Manitou, the Alpena headed into port Friday morning arriving at Lafarge around 9:30 a.m. to load cement. By early evening the Alpena was outbound in the bay with the Manitou leading. The tug Samuel de Champlain and barge Innovation were waiting nearby and arrived at Lafarge before nightfall on Friday.

Erie, Pa. - Jeffrey Benson
Friday the crew of the Edwin H. Gott was performing lifeboat drills under the supervision of the US Coast Guard in preparation for departure on Saturday, March 22, for the upper lakes. She has pulled up her anchors, and most of the winter mooring lines have been taken in.





First lakers of 2014 shipping season to depart Duluth-Superior this weekend

3/22 - Duluth, Minn. – Near record-setting thick and fast ice across the Great Lakes has slowed the start of the 2014 navigation season. However traffic is set to start moving at Duluth-Superior as early as midday Saturday with the anticipated departure of two Great Lakes Fleet carriers, Cason J. Callaway and Presque Isle.

Both will head to Two Harbors, where they will load iron ore pellets bound for steel mills on the lower lakes. Plans are to have a third fleetmate that wintered in the Twin Ports, John G. Munson, join them in Two Harbors to load Sunday or Monday. All three are operated by Key Lakes, Inc.

Those three lakers will await the arrival of three U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers Mackinaw, Morro Bay and Katmai Bay, currently cutting tracks across Lake Superior from the Soo Locks to Duluth. After a respite to restock/refuel, the USCG units will depart, slowing down just long enough near Two Harbors to pick up and escort the GLF vessels in a convoy across the Lake and through the St. Marys River and locks at Sault Ste. Marie.

Local icebreaking assets USCG cutter Alder and commercial tugs from Heritage Marine and Great Lakes Towing will continue working to open up tracks in Duluth-Superior Harbor, as the Mesabi Miner is scheduled to load coal at the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal early next week for delivery to Taconite Harbor, then return to reload for a trip to Marquette. Additional vessels that wintered over in the Twin Ports (including Kaye E. Barker, Great Republic, American Spirit, St. Clair, Walter J. McCarthy) are fitting out and plan to get underway within the next couple of weeks.

With ever-changing ice conditions and weather patterns, plans are to have Coast Guard assists for upbound vessel traffic as well, so terminals in the Twin Ports can expect to see the first inbound lakers arrive to load around April 1. Oceangoing (i.e. saltie) traffic will be later, as locks in the far eastern end of the Seaway system aren’t set to open until March 31.

For updated times, please consult the Boatwatchers Hotline: [phone] or www.duluthboats.com





Coast Guard cutter breaks ice to reduce flooding risk near Lorain, Ohio

3/22 - Cleveland, Ohio – The Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay broke ice Friday afternoon in the port of Lorain, Ohio, in an attempt to prevent ice jams from forming and causing flooding of the surrounding areas.

The cutter responded to a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lead federal agency for flood mitigation and response, who determined that the area would benefit from ice-breaking operations.

The cutter arrived in Lorain Friday morning after transiting from Monroe, Mich., where the crew battled ice in the River Raisin to relieve flooding there.

The Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard have been working together for a number of years to ensure the success of joint operations aimed at mitigating the impacts associated with ice jam flooding on navigable rivers of the Great Lakes, said Gary Shoffstall, chief of emergency operations for the Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District.

The Neah Bay is a 140-foot ice-breaking tug homeported in Cleveland.

The Coast Guard conducts domestic ice-breaking operations in order to perform search and rescue and other emergency operations, to mitigate flooding at the request of the Corps of Engineers, and to meet the reasonable demands of commerce.





Lookback #125 – Norse Variant broke in two and sank on March 22, 1973

3/22 - The Norwegian bulk carrier Norse Variant got caught by an early spring storm on the Atlantic 41 years ago today. An early source stated that the eight-year old ship had loaded coal at Norfolk, Virginia, and was bound for Hamburg, West Germany, while the Miramar Ship Index says that the cargo came aboard at Hampton Roads for Glasgow, Scotland.

Battered by 40-foot waves, Norse Variant broke in two on March 22, 1973, and all but one member of the crew perished. Twenty-nine sailors were lost while only one survivor was found.

Norse Variant was built at Uddevalla, Sweden, and completed in March 1965. It made one trip to the Great Lakes that year and was back for single visits in 1966, 1967 and in subsequent years. The 540 foot long freighter could carry 20,750 tons of cargo.

The ship went down 135 miles southeast of Cape May, NJ in a position listed as 38.00 N / 72.24 W.


Today in Great Lakes History - March 22

On 22 March 1922, the Goodrich Transit Company purchased the assets and properties of the Chicago, Racine and Milwaukee Steamship Company. This sale included two steamers: ILLINOIS (steel propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 240 foot, 2,427 gross tons, built in 1899, at S. Chicago, Illinois) and PILGRIM (iron propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 209 foot, 1,921 gross tons, built in 1881, at Wyandotte, Michigan).

The GULF MACKENZIE sailed light March 22, 1977, on her maiden voyage from Sorel to Montreal, Quebec.

The tanker COMET (Hull#705) was launched March 22, 1913, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Standard Transportation Co. of New York.

THOMAS W. LAMONT (Hull#184) was launched March 22, 1930, at Toledo, Ohio by Toledo Shipbuilding Co. for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.

March 22, 1885 - The Goodrich steamer MICHIGAN was crushed in heavy ice off Grand Haven, Michigan and sank. Captain Redmond Prindiville was in command, Joseph Russell was the first mate.

On 22 March 1873, TYPO, a wooden schooner/canaller, was launched at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She cost $25,000 and was commanded by Captain William Callaway.

On 22 March 1871, Engineer George Smith and two firemen were badly scalded on the propeller LAKE BREEZE when a steam pipe they were working on blew away from the side of the boiler. They were getting the engines ready for the new shipping season.

On 22 March 1938, CITY OF BUFFALO (steel side-wheeler passenger/package freight vessel, 340 foot, 2,940 gross tons, built in 1896, at Wyandotte, Michigan) caught fire during preparations for the spring season while at her winter moorings at the East Ninth Street dock in Cleveland, Ohio. She was totally gutted. The hulk was towed to Detroit for conversion to a freighter, but this failed to materialize. She was cut up for scrap there in 1940.

On 22 March 1987, the pilothouse of the 1901, steamer ALTADOC, which was used as a gift shop and 2-room hotel near Copper Harbor, Michigan, was destroyed by fire.

1973: The Swedish built NORSE VARIANT first came to the Great Lakes in 1965 just after completion. On March 22, 1973, the vessel was en route from Norfolk, VA, to Hamburg, Germany, with a cargo of coal when it ran into an early spring storm with 40 foot waves southeast of Cape May, N.J. The vessel was overwhelmed and sank with the loss of 29 lives. Only one man survived.

2006: The Collingwood-built Canadian Coast Guard ship SIR WILFRID LAURIER came to the rescue of those aboard the passenger ship QUEEN OF THE NORTH when the latter sank with the loss of two lives off the coast of British Columbia.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Deep freeze means rare rise in Great Lakes water levels

3/23 - It looks as if there will be at least one positive from the deep freeze the Midwest endured this winter, and sportsmen, farmers, fish and the shipping industry all stand to benefit.

Water levels in the Great Lakes are expected to rise, and it isn't just because of all the melting snow. The ice that nearly covered all five lakes for the first time since 1978 has also trapped water below, preventing the evaporation that has seen the enormous bodies of water slowly shrinking for decades. But even with the estimated rise of 13-15 inches, the levels are still well below historic levels.

“The levels have risen significantly, but the caveat is that they are still a foot below the all-time average high,” Keith Kompoltowicz, watershed hydrology chief for the Detroit district of the Army Corps of Engineers told FoxNews.com.

Higher levels are good for the region that depends on the lakes for drinking water, good for fish and also for the shipping industry. The blustery winter season and the fact that there is still ice cover will likely keep lake temperatures cool throughout the summer, which in turn would stall evaporation rates.

Lakes Michigan and Huron could benefit the most as both have been at their lowest levels since 1918, when lake data was first collected. The past two years saw Lake Michigan, in particular, reach record lows which caused economic problems for the shipping industry as they were forced to lighten cargo loads. Both are now seeing the most significant level rise in the region.

Ecologists have ice to thank for the rebound.

“The 40-year average of ice cover for the month of Feburary is 32 percent,” George Leshkevich, a physical scientist with NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab told FoxNews.com. “This is the second greatest ice cover on record since 1979.”

According to Leshkevich, ice cover levels broke 92 percent as of March 6, and remains well above 80 percent. “Since the first polar vortex, the ice as just been building and building,” he said.

Leshkevich added that the ice was one, but not the only, factor in evaporation. “There was also a lot of snow in the northern basins, so that combined with the ice cover reduced evaporation as well as reduced lake effect snows.”

Higher lake levels could also benefit marinas, since it would mean improved docking areas for boats and tourism could see a boost, as sandy beaches would be replenished. Farmers in the region even stand to benefit from the deep freeze as it could stall crops from premature growth that could leave them susceptible to freezing during the earliest stages of the growing season.

However, some in the commercial industry are skeptical about how great the benefit for shipping may be this year.

“It’s possible that it could help [improve shipping], but it’s not guaranteed,” Glen Nekvasil, Vice President of the Lake Carriers’ Association told FoxNews.com. “There have been many times when NOAA, and whomever else, have said the levels would have been higher and it turned out not to be the case.”

Reuters





City seeks grant for Lake Michigan weather buoy

3/23 - South Haven, Mich. – South Haven officials are seeking a $50,000 federal grant to buy a data-collecting weather buoy in Lake Michigan. The City Council Monday night voted to authorize city staff to apply for the grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The buoy would be placed 2-4 miles off the shores of South Haven and would collect and transmit a wide variety of data to NOAA, including weather conditions and lake conditions.

The annual maintenance costs are estimated at up to $27,550 per year, and the city and Van Buren County are among the entities and organizations pledging support to maintain the buoy, City Manager Brian Dissette said. The city and county are each committed to $5,000 per year in maintenance costs.

Additional sensors and equipment will have to be purchased, including a $20,000 current data sensor and a $5,000 camera to transmit video.

Other donors lined up to help with initial purchases and maintenance include the South Haven Yacht Club, River Bend Boat Club, South Haven Steelheaders, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Louis Padnos Iron & Metal Co., Covert Generating and the convention and visitors bureau.

Official are optimistic the grant will be approved, because NOAA encouraged submission of the grant application after receiving a proposal earlier, Dissette said. An announcement is expected in May.

The grant includes $10,000 to be used for educational purposes related to the buoy and use of the data. If all goes well, the buoy could be in operation this summer, said city Assistant Manager Paul VandenBosch.

The Herald Palladium





Lookback #126 – Dorothea opened Seaway on March 23, 2001

3/23 - On March 23, 2001, 13 years ago today, the Cypriot bulk carrier Dorothea set a record for the earliest opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway to that date. The ship had arrived at Montreal on March 19 and had to go to anchor to await the opportunity to become the first overseas trader to slide into the St. Lambert Lock four days later.

This was the first trip to the Great Lakes for the 17-year-old Cypriot-flag freighter. It had been built at Shiogama, Japan, and completed for Garnet Maritime Inc. as Garnet Star in March 1984. Initially flagged in Liberia, the ship spent 10 years in saltwater trading without coming to the Great Lakes, although it did come as far as Montreal in 1991.

Sold and renamed in 1994, Dorothea was carrying sugar for Toronto when it came inland in 2001. After unloading, it was the first saltwater trader of the year to pass up bound in the Welland Canal on March 28 heading for Burns Harbor to load corn.

The 509 foot, 2 inch long vessel brought another load of sugar to Toronto in 2002 and returned for the final time in 2003 bringing steel to Valleyfield, Detroit and Windsor. It was sold to Swiss owners in 2008 and renamed Thea K. for service under the flag of Panama. At last report it was operating in and around the Mediterranean and was due at Bizerta, Tunisia, in mid-February.

On a later occasion, Beluga Emotion, equaled the earliest Seaway opening for an overseas ship when it passed up bound at St. Lambert on March 23, 2006. Then, Avonborg, Harbour Legend and Clipper Mari, in 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively, opened the Seaway on March 22 setting a new standard.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - March 23

The National Transportation Safety Board unanimously voted on March 23,1978, to reject the U. S. Coast Guard's official report supporting the theory of faulty hatches in their EDMUND FITZGERALD investigation. Later the N.T.S.B. revised its verdict and reached a majority vote to agree that the sinking was caused by taking on water through one or more hatch covers damaged by the impact of heavy seas over her deck. This is contrary to the Lake Carriers Association's contention that her foundering was caused by flooding through bottom and ballast tank damage resulting from bottoming on the Six Fathom Shoal between Caribou and Michipicoten Islands.

On 23 March 1850, TROY (wooden side-wheel passenger/package freighter, 182 foot, 546 tons, built in 1845, at Maumee, Ohio) exploded and burned at Black Rock, New York. Up to 22 lives were lost. She was recovered and rebuilt the next year and lasted until 1860.

On 23 March 1886, Mr. D. N. Runnels purchased the tug KITTIE HAIGHT.

The 3,280 ton motor vessel YANKCANUCK commanded by Captain W. E. Dexter, docked at the Canadian Soo on 23 March 1964, to officially open the 1964 navigation season for that port. Captain Dexter received the traditional silk hat from Harbormaster Frank Parr in a brief ceremony aboard the vessel. The ship arrived in the Sault from Windsor, Ontario. Captain Dexter said the trip from Windsor was uneventful and he had no trouble with ice. This was the first time a ship from the Yankcanuck line had won the honor of opening the Sault Harbor.

1986: EBN MAGID visited the Seaway in 1970 as a) ADEL WEERT WIARDS and was on the cover of Know Your Ships for 1971. Following 2 explosions and a fire at sea at the end of January, the vessel docked this day at Milford Haven, U.K. to be unloaded. It was then sold to Belgian shipbreakers.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, “Ahoy & Farewell II” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series.






Coast Guard locks through for icebreaking

3/22 - USCG Sector Sault Saint Marie officials are coordinating ice breaking operations on Lake Superior in preparation for the 2014 shipping season. The Coast Guard cutters Mackinaw, Katmai Bay and Morro Bay transited up bound through the Sault Locks Friday morning. These icebreakers are initially scheduled to work in the Upper St. Marys River, Whitefish Bay and Eastern Lake Superior. They will also conduct icebreaking operations in vicinity of the Presque Isle Harbor iron ore dock in Marquette as they transit to western Lake Superior. Although not limited to a specific area, the icebreakers will focus their activities to the charted Lake Carriers Association (LCA) track lines. These icebreaking efforts will expand and increase in frequency as the ice and demands of shipping require. This will include all navigable waters in and around the ports of Duluth and Superior, as well as the waters of Silver Bay, Taconite Harbor and Two Harbors in Minnesota.

The 240-foot USCGC Mackinaw is the only U.S. heavy ice breaking resource assigned to the Great Lakes and is homeported in Cheboygan, Michigan. Katmai Bay, home-ported in Sault Ste. Marie, and Morro Bay, homeported in Cleveland, are 140-foot icebreaking tugs.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Locks open, but ice keeps boats away

3/25 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – Even though the Soo Locks aren't expecting to see any boat traffic for several days, the Poe Lock was ready for business as of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Despite the lack of traffic, the public is welcome to attend an open house at the Soo Locks Visitor Center hosted by the Soo Locks Vistors Center Association from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Ice conditions have delayed the arrival of vessels. Two lakers – Cason J. Callaway and Presque Isle – have been loading at Two Harbors, and are expected to be joined by John G. Munson when conditions permit. When all three are ready to go, they will be convoyed down the lake by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Stewart J. Cort departed winter layup Monday evening and headed for the Soo. However she is expected to encounter significant ice in the Straits and lower St. Mars River. Other vessels around the lakes are showing signs of life, and are expected to leave layup soon.

Robert S. Pierson and Michipicoten, laid up at Essar Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., are expected to resume the ore shuttle to Marquette once the harbor there has been broken out, but when that will be is unknown.





Port Reports - March 25

Duluth, Minn. - Frank Frisk
The USCG icebreakers Morro Bay, Mackinaw and Katmai Bay traveled across Lake Superior Monday in convoy, arriving in Duluth about 7 p.m. and tying up for the night.

Straits of Mackinac - Robert Bemben
The USCG cutter Biscayne Bay escorted the tug Samuel de Champlain pushing the barge Innovation westbound across northern Lake Michigan Monday. At 7 p.m. the Biscayne Bay was breaking out the de Champlain, which was stuck in ice around six nautical miles WSW of Lansing Shoal. This is also where the going got tough for the Joyce L. Van Enkevort, the last commercial vessel to transit this area. At 9 p.m. the Biscayne Bay reported that it as only about 1 mile from the edge of the ice field, but that the ice was very thick there. The Biscayne Bay will make a few runs between the ice edge and the Samuel de Champlain to try and free the tug and barge. There is now an extensive area of open water on the west side of Lake Michigan from Indiana to Sturgeon Bay, then an area of 80 percent ice coverage, mostly thin ice, from Sturgeon Bay to a point just south of Seul Choix Point.

Sturgeon Bay, Wis. - Jim Conlon
Stewart J. Cort is the latest ship to leave winter layup at Bay Shipbuilding. She was escorted by Selvick tugs out to Sherwood Point, where she turned around and headed back to Sturgeon Bay and through the three bridges and on to Lake Michigan. She cleared the downtown bridges about 7:15 p.m. Monday.

Port Colborne - Nathan Attard
There was lots of activity in Port Colborne Sunday as vessels prepare to depart. Algoma Enterprise had her bow thruster removed for repair. Painting of Whitefish Bay continued. The crew of Baie Comeau had industrial heaters in the bow thruster, and were shoveling ice out most of the day. Welders were busy on John D. Leitch, finishing up plate work.

Seaway - Tom Hynes
Two Canadian icebreakers continue to make their way up the Seaway. As of Monday evening, the Martha L. Black was tied up at the downstream approach to the Snell Lock, while the Pierre Radisson was stopped just above Valleyfield. The Ocean Group tug La Prairie spent Monday breaking ice between the St. Lambert and Ste. Catherine Locks.





Slow start expected to Great Lakes shipping season because of weather

3/25 - Detroit, Mich. – The Great Lakes’ shipping season starts Tuesday, but you likely won’t see freighters moving across their waters for a while. Blame it on the same thing responsible for this year’s bumper crop of potholes and longer school year— the weather.

The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula will open Tuesday, marking the official start of the shipping season.

“It may be a little more difficult to get the ice off of the gates this year, but they’ll open on time,” said Lynn Rose, a Detroit-based spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that enables ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. “And then we’ll see if a ship can make it through them.”

Not likely. As of Thursday, ice covered 77 percent of the Great Lakes, according to the National Oceanic at Atmospheric Administration. And some shipping companies aren’t rushing their boats to get underway.

“It appears to be rather challenging out there right now,” said Chuck Leonard, operations manager for the Pere Marquette Shipping Company in Ludington, which specializes in transporting bulk materials, such as stone, pig iron and lumber.

“We’re looking going out in early April,” Leonard said. “We’re going to wait for a little bit more of the ice to dissipate before we go into the fray.”

He said the company is starting later than it normally does, but not much later. The company’s expense for the delay will be nominal, he also said.

“We would much prefer there wasn’t any ice out there and then we could get out there and work,” Leonard said. “You have good winters and you have bad winters and we got a hard one this year.”

Steve Stanek, port captain for Muskegon-based marine shipping and transportation company Andrie Inc., said cargo may not get picked up and delivered for at least a month because there’s still so much ice in the lakes. “There’s so much ice, there’s a lot of potential for damage to boats,” he said.

More than 200 million tons of cargo are shipped on the Great Lakes ever year, according to the National Oceanic at Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor.

The three main things freighters carry are iron ore, coal and grain. More than 10,000 ships pass through the Soo Locks annually. Passage is free for freighters.

Also every year, the Army Corps of Engineers closes the locks for the winter on Jan. 15 and opens them at 12:01 a.m. on March 25. During the shutdown, crews make repairs and conduct inspections and maintenance work that can’t be done when the locks are in operation.

Detroit News





Alpena makes way to Lafarge for first time this season

3/25 - Alpena, Mich. – In keeping with a tradition dating back to the 1830s, Alpena Mayor Matt Waligora, members of the local International Shipmasters Association lodge and others met the captain of the freighter Alpena during its first stop in Alpena for 2014.

On Lafarge's loading dock, Waligora presented Capt. Rob Moore with a key to the city and a certificate wishing the crew a safe and successful season, and ISMA Lodge 19 President Lee Barnhill gave him the traditional bottle of liquor. Alpena Downtown DDA Lesslee Dort gave him a welcome bag from downtown merchants and chamber members, and Stephanie Gandulla, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary outreach coordinator, gave him a shipwreck documentary and a jacket from the sanctuary store.

"We definitely appreciate that maritime commerce is still a big part of our lives," she said.

ISMA member Pat Labadie said these kinds of greetings were once common in Great Lakes ports. A few years back, the local Shipmasters lodge decided to revive the tradition.

The Alpena arrived at the Lafarge docks Friday morning after the tug Manitou broke a path through the ice on Thunder Bay. Moore said the freighter, built in 1942 and originally named the Leon Fraser, was built to run year-round. There are extra frames in her bow, making her strong enough to break ice.

"We only have 4,000 horsepower so we can only push so much, so we rely on smaller boats," he said.

Moore's captained the freighter for six season and has worked with Inland Lakes Transportation for 12 years. He said this year's ice is like nothing he's ever experienced. It took almost a week to reach Alpena from Cleveland, where the freighter was laid up for the winter. The freighter's crew of 21 had to wait in Detroit for ice breakers to make a path, and sailing through Lake Huron was a challenge.

"The wind is shifting the ice around, so we weaved back and forth to find open water," he said. "Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't."

When the freighter arrived at Thunder Bay, Moore and his crew waited for the better part of a day for the Manitou to cut through two-foot-thick ice, he said.

Dan Leski, Lafarge shipping coordinator, said the U.S. Coast Guard has been an invaluable partner by breaking ice and making the lakes safe to sail. Their cutters helped the Samuel de Champlain, due to arrive later in the day, get through the Straits of Mackinac.

Lafarge Operations Manager Giulio Fantasia said the arrival of the boats gets business in Northeast Michigan moving. At the same time, ice anglers need to beware of the change in ice conditions on Thunder Bay, Fantasia said.

Jordan Travis, The Alpena News





Lookback #128 – Former Montreal City a victim of fire on March 25, 1973

3/25 - The freighter Montreal City, the second to carry this name in the Seaway era, was built at Burntisland, Scotland, and completed on January 21, 1963. The 440-foot-long vessel joined the Bristol City Line and arrived at Halifax on its maiden voyage on February 23, 1963.

The ship became a regular caller to the Great Lakes making four Seaway transits later in 1963 and a total of eighteen to the end of 1967. The splendid, orange-hulled vessel earned a good living before its transatlantic niche was lost to container vessels.

Montreal City was sold to the Thai Maritime Navigation Co. Ltd. and renamed Ratchaburi for Far East service in 1973. It did not last long. On March 24, 1973, the ship caught fire while loading rubber and jute at Bangkok, Thailand, for Japan in what was to be the first voyage for the new owner.

The badly-damaged ship was taken from the dock and scuttled in Pattani Bay, South Thailand, 41 years ago today. It was a total loss.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - March 25

HENRY G. DALTON (Hull#713) was launched March 25, 1916, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co., for the Interlake Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio – the company's first 600 footer.

FRANK R. DENTON was launched March 25, 1911, as a.) THOMAS WALTERS (Hull#390) at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Interstate Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio.

On March 25, 1927, heavy ice caused the MAITLAND NO 1, to run off course and she grounded on Tecumseh Shoal on her way to Port Maitland, Ontario. Eighteen hull plates were damaged which required repairs at Ashtabula, Ohio.

The steamer ENDERS M. VOORHEES participated in U.S. Steel's winter-long navigation feasibility study during the 1974-75 season, allowing only one month to lay up from March 25th to April 24th.

March 25, 1933 - Captain Wallace Henry "Andy" Van Dyke, master of the Steamer PERE MARQUETTE 22, suffered a heart attack and died peacefully in his cabin while en route to Ludington, Michigan.

1966: The French freighter ROCROI made one trip through the Seaway in 1959. The ship arrived at Halifax on this date in 1966 with interior damage after the 'tween decks, loaded with steel, collapsed crushing tractors and cars beneath. The vessel was repaired and survived until 1984 when, as e) THEOUPOLIS, it hit a mine en route to Berbera, Somalia, on August 14, 1984. The vessel was badly damaged and subsequently broken up in India.

1973: The former MONTREAL CITY caught fire as b) RATCHABURI at Bangkok, Thailand, on March 24, 1973. It was loading a cargo of jute and rubber for Japan on its first voyage for new Thai owners. The vessel was scuttled and sank on March 25 in Pattani Bay, South Thailand. The ship began coming through the Seaway for the Bristol City Line when new in 1963.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Today in Great Lakes History - March 26

On 26 March 1922, OMAR D. CONGER (wooden passenger-package freight, 92 foot, 200 gross tons, built in 1887, at Port Huron, Michigan) exploded at her dock on the Black River in Port Huron with such violence that parts of her upper works and engine were thrown all over the city. Some said that her unattended boiler blew up, but others claimed that an unregistered cargo of explosives ignited. She had been a Port Huron-Sarnia ferry for a number of years.

The CITY OF MOUNT CLEMENS (wooden propeller "rabbit,” 106 foot, 132 gross tons) was launched at the Chabideaux yard in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, on 26 March 1884. She was towed to Detroit to be fit out. She was built for Chapaton & Lacroix. She lasted until dismantled in 1921.

1935: A fire destroyed the small wooden bulk carrier ALICE M. GILL that had been laid up at Sandusky since the end of the 1926 season. The ship had been built as a tug for the logging industry and later served as a lighthouse tender and then a small bulk carrier. The remains were scrapped.

1971: The former CLEMENS SARTORI stranded off the coast of Algeria in bad weather as b) PIRAEUS while en route from Antwerp, Belgium, to Mersin, Turkey, and was abandoned by the crew as a total loss. The vessel was a pre-Seaway visitor to the Great Lakes for the West German firm of Sartori and Berger and, in July 1958, was the first westbound salty to use the recently opened American locks at Massena, NY. It made 20 trips to the Great Lakes (1959-1965) mainly on charter to the Hamburg-Chicago Line.

1976: RAMON DE LARRINAGA is remembered as the first Seaway era saltwater vessel into the port of Duluth-Superior, arriving amid great fanfare on May 3, 1959. The ship was sailing as c) MARIAN when it sustained hull damage clearing the port of Lisbon on this date in 1976. Portuguese authorities ordered the vessel towed out to sea and it foundered off Cascais, Portugal, the following day.



Port Reports - March 26

Twin Ports
The USCG Mackinaw, Kalmia Bay and Morro Bay enjoyed a day of rest Tuesday, with no traffic moving in the Twin Ports. The icebreakers will remain until a convoy is established for the downbound trek across Lake Superior. To reach Duluth, the trio took a northerly route, taking advantage of what open water was available. Strong northwest winds made the trip difficult, with windrows estimated at 8-12 feet and plate ice at two-feet thick. Commercial icebreaking was busy at Superior, with the tug Helen H working at the shipyard to move the John G. Munson from the dock at Fraser.

Straits of Mackinac - Robert Bemben
About 2 a. m. Tuesday, Stewart J. Cort was met off Washington Island by the tug Erica Kobasic and stopped for some type of exchange before the Cort resumed its trip eastbound and the Kobasic returned to Escanaba. The Cort made it to the ice field at the western reach of the Straits of Mackinac about 8 a.m. before becoming stuck and having to wait for icebreaker escort near the end of the charted 326 degree line from Seul Choix Point. USCG Mobile Bay arrived from St. Ignace about 5:30 p.m. to assist. It was very tough going with heavy ice and windrows with no discernible track at times. After 3-1/2 hours of icebreaking, the Cort had moved around 3-1/2 nautical miles and was still 8 nm WSW of Lansing Shoal. Icebreaking will resume early Wednesday morning.

Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Paul R. Tregurtha left layup at Bayship Tuesday and headed for Escanaba, where it took position in the lineup of vessels waiting to load taconite pellets. Great Lakes Trader and Wilfred Sykes were at the dock Tuesday, with Joseph L. Block anchored nearby and Hon James L. Oberstar also in line.

Detroit, Mich.
Edwin H. Gott spent Tuesday tied up at Zug Island.





Icebreaking begins at Massena locks

3/26 - Massena, N.Y. – The Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Pierre Radisson departed St. Zotique anchorage before dawn Tuesday and arrived at Snell Lock in Massena to begin clearing ice in the St. Lawrence Seaway. Seaway officials say a "minor problem" with the Snell Lock gate is delaying the icebreaker from transiting.

The icebreaker cleared a small section of the waterway between the Seaway International Bridge and Snell Lock while waiting for repairs. The icebreaker temporarily anchored on the approach wall at the lock before being allowed on its journey.

The 322-foot-long arctic and gulf icebreaker has a crew of 12 officers and more than 20 sailors. With the Seaway scheduled to open for navigation March 31, the icebreaker has its work cut out in the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, where ice is close to 36 inches thick.

Seaway officials say the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Martha L. Black was scheduled to assist with breaking up the dense ice cover, but has since been diverted to Valleyfield, Que.

The tug La Prairie spent Tuesday working just upstream of St. Lambert Lock, and the Seaway's tug Robinson Bay worked the channel between Snell and Eisenhower Locks.

Seaway officials say the Great Lakes-Seaway system has the most ice coverage this year than in more than two decades.

The Pierre Radisson continued upstream, docking Tuesday evening at the Port of Prescott. The Martha L. Black tied up in Valleyfield for the evening.

Fox 28 News, Ron Beaupre and Tom Hynes





Salties gearing up for 2014 Seaway opening

3/26 - With the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway originally scheduled to take place on March 28 and now, due to heavy ice, pushed back to March 31, saltwater vessels are starting to arrive in the Port of Montreal in anticipation of the opening. Already in Montreal is the tanker Harbor Feature from Portugal, which is expected to depart sometime on April 1. Harbour Feature could be the first saltwater vessel to use the system for 2014. After departing Montreal, Harbour Feature is scheduled for Clarkson. Two Polsteam vessels are also expected to arrive in Montreal, the Cypriot-flagged Isolda on April 1 and the Bahamas-flagged Lubie on April 2. Isolda is coming from Ijmuiden, Netherlands, and has a cargo of steel coils for Cleveland, Ohio. The Lubie has a load of sugar for Toronto, Ont., and the Redpath Dock from Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Two other salties, both Fednav fleetmates, Federal Saguenay and Federal Rhine, are also expected to be in the Seaway sometime in April. Both are loaded with steel from Antwerp, Belgium. Federal Saguenay will be visiting Hamilton, Cleveland and Detroit, while Federal Rhine will visit Sorel, Milwaukee and Burns Harbor.

Denny Dushane





Rowing Regatta cancelled

3/26 - Detroit, Mich. – The annual Dossin Invitational Rowing Regatta, scheduled for this Saturday, March 29 on Belle Isle, has been canceled due to poor racing conditions on the Detroit River. No rescheduled date has been announced.





Lookback #129 – Omar D. Conger blew up on March 26, 1922

3/26 - The Omar D. Conger was a wooden passenger ship that operated between Port Huron and Sarnia. The vessel had been built at Port Huron in 1882 and occasionally made excursion runs into Lake Huron or as far afield as Wallaceburg, Ont.

On June 22, 1901, the ship caught fire and the upper works were destroyed, but Omar D. Conger was rebuilt and returned to service for the Port Huron and Sarnia Ferry Co.

It was 92 years ago today that the Omar D. Conger's boiler exploded, rocking the surrounding area and destroying the ship. Debris was hurled in all directions, homes caught fire and a nearby ship, the Hiawatha, was also damaged. It was considered a miracle that the death toll was no higher than four, considering the immense destruction.

There were at least two suggestions for the cause of the blast. One theory is that it blew up when the cold water was turned on while another opinion is that there was too much pressure and the relief valve failed. Finding enough evidence to confirm either supposition proved too big a challenge.

[yachtsmanwilly]

A piece of history rescued at South Haven

3/27 - South Haven, Mich. – The old saying "Don't give up the ship" certainly could apply to the crew that salvaged the historic Wilhelm Baum tugboat over the weekend.

"It took three days. We had a hard time bringing it up," said Barney Pero, owner of J&B Landing, which fished the submerged tug out of the Black River in South Haven.

The 91-year-old tug lay submerged for a month in icy water at the Michigan Maritime Museum dock before J&B workers could rescue it.

"It had taken in a lot of water," Pero said of the 25-ton tugboat, owned by Jim and Sheral Bradley of South Haven.

Workers began the arduous task Thursday, battling freezing temperature and wind gusts. "The weather was miserable," Bradley said. While bystanders watched, J&B employees tried unsuccessfully on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning to lift the vessel.

"You couldn't lift the whole tug out of the water, it was just too heavy," Pero said. Workers then devised a plan to lift the back part of the tug onto a barge, which allowed them to successfully pump out some of the water. They then were able to lift the front part of the tug onto another barge and drain the rest of the water from the craft.

Surprisingly, once the water was out of the Wilhelm Baum late Saturday afternoon, it floated on its own.

"It came up and wasn't leaking water at all," Bradley said. "I think Barney and his boys did a wonderful job. I was very pleased nobody got injured."

The reason the Wilhelm Baum sank Feb. 23 remains a mystery. "The Coast Guard didn't find anything obvious," Pero said. "We do not know why it sank," said Bradley, who has owned the Wilhelm Baum since the mid 1970s. "There's not many clues to the mystery."

Pero ventured one guess. "It's possible with all of the ice and snow we had, it weighed down the boat and it started to take on water, but that's just a guess."

Despite sinking, the tugboat shows few signs of damage, which pleases Bradley. However, its electronic components are ruined.

"It had sonar, a remote-operated vehicle for underwater videos, things like that," said Bradley, who used the tug for shipwreck searches and as a rescue boat when he volunteered with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

"That's a major deal," he said, regarding the loss of the electronic devices. "Most of it was handmade by me and took a long time to make. It can't be readily replaced." At this point, Bradley said he is not sure whether the tug will return to service.

The Wilhelm Baum was built in 1923 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and used on the St. Marys River. At that time it was called the Captain Canfield. When Bradley bought the tug he renamed it to honor South Haven resident Wilhelm Baum, a lieutenant commander of the U.S.S. Swordfish submarine during World War II.

Bradley and his wife spent the next three decades using the tugboat for search and rescue operations for the Coast Guard Auxiliary in South Haven.

"I'd say 1,200 to 1,500 people were assisted in the 30 years the tug was used by the auxiliary," Bradley said. For the past nine years, Bradley used the boat for his diving expeditions.

The Herald-Palladium



www.heraldpalladium.com/news/local/a-piece-of-history-rescued/article_d477a55a-f609-5887-aae6-e84c28cfb099.html



First downbound convoy departs western Lake Superior for the Soo

3/27 - Two Harbors, Minn. – At about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, the first ice convoy departed downbound after loading at Two Harbors, Minn. The icebreaker Mackinaw was leading the cutters Morro Bay and Katmai Bay, followed by the vessels Presque Isle, Cason J. Callaway. By 11 p.m., the convoy had taken the northerly route, passing close to Thunder Bay where the Morro Bay and Katmai Bay turned into break out that port while the Mackinaw continued to lead the loaded freighters downbound. They were expected to take advantage of what open water was available on the north shore of Lake Superior. Conditions will continue to become increasingly difficult as the convoy reaches the east end of the lake and the group must make its way through severe ice on Whitefish Bay.





Tough going in Straits ice Wednesday for the Cort

3/27 - For the Stewart J. Cort, Wednesday began in the ice field eight miles WSW of Lansing Shoal. The USCG icebreaker Mobile Bay broke out the Cort, and then it was stop-and-go most of the way to Lansing Shoal. The upbound Joyce L Van Enkevort, pushing the barge Great Lakes Trader (destination Cleveland), made a run through the ice to join the escort and, around 10:30 am, she was finally stopped by the ice just three miles behind the Cort. The Cort was still six miles from Lansing Shoal; that’s two miles of progress after three hours of icebreaking very tough going.

In radio traffic, the Mobile Bay noted that the ice was around 3 ½-feet thick. Initially the Mobile Bay planned to break out the Van Enkevort and have it pass the Cort to make it easier going, but the very thick ice made this impractical. Mobile Bay noted that the ice would be much better past Lansing Shoal, and then they could advance the Van Enkevort. Mobile Bay also said that Biscayne Bay would be coming from Sturgeon Bay to assist.

At 3 pm the Cort was moving better, but was still three miles southwest of Lansing Shoal with the Van Enkevort trailing her. After Lansing Shoal, the pace picked up, and by 6 pm the convoy was north of Hog Island. However, the Mobile Bay had to repeatedly give relief to the two commercial vessels and they had to follow the icebreaker more closely than usual to keep moving.

Around 7:30 pm the Cort ran out of the track and couldn’t move ahead or back. Mobile Bay turned back to assist while the Van Enkevort took the lead, but was stopped in the single track three miles west of White Shoal.

Finally, at 9 pm, the situation improved dramatically. The Van Enkevort and the Cort were moving at five knots as the Mobile Bay led out, passing White Shoal Light. And the Biscayne Bay was catching up with the convoy just a couple of miles back. The passage through the Straits will likely be smooth going.

At 9:40 pm, the Mobile Bay radioed that it would be shutting down for the evening near St. Helena Island, but that the others were welcome to continue eastbound. Mobile Bay said that there was an established track for 4-5 miles east of Round Island Passage and that the Alpena was waiting in the ice south of the track for westbound transit. Mobile Bay informed the Cort that if it proceeded to Detour, Soo Traffic was instructing all commercial traffic to not proceed up the St. Marys River but instead to anchor outside of the river. After considering its options, the Cort decided to overnight at St. Helena Island.

Icebreaking requires an incredible amount of patience, perseverance, positive thinking and cooperation and everyone in this convoy got to practice all of those for nearly 15 hours today.

Robert Bemben





Port Reports - March 27

Thunder Bay
The annual spring break out is expected to begin on Thursday. The United States Coast Guard cutters Katmai Bay and Morro Bay will assist with harbor breakout in Thunder Bay Thursday and Friday. The USCG cutter Alder will arrive Saturday to provide additional icebreaking capacity in the area.

Escanaba, Mich. - Rod Burdick
Fleet mates Joseph L. Block and Wilfred Sykes were at the CN ore dock on Wednesday. Hon. James L. Oberstar was at anchor north of the dock, waiting to load.

Erie, Pa.
The CSL Laurentien left its winter berth in Erie harbor Wednesday about 1 p.m. She backed out of her slip, which was only a few feet away from the McKee Sons. The bay was open in spots with only thin ice, but the USCG Neah Bay was waiting for her on the lake since the ice is still thick in most places.

Seaway
The CCGS Griffon is expected to work to work the lower seaway and the CCGC Desgroseillers is expected to head for the upper lakes. CCGS Pierre Radisson will break out the Welland Canal, where ice is reported to be piled as deep as 12-14 feet at the mouth of the canal.





Soo Locks experience historically slow opening day

3/27 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The Soo Locks are officially open for spring, but for the first time in 20 years no ships are passing through. The extreme ice coverage on the Great Lakes is making it difficult for ships to travel and for the locks to operate.

"Normally at midnight when we open up there's a boat on the end of the pier waiting and then there's several in the system," Tom Soeltner, Soo Locks Lockmaster said.

Soeltner has been keeping a close eye on the progress of ships traveling on Lake Superior and Lake Huron, many of them carrying valuable energy resources like iron ore and coal. "I'm just watching the internet, hoping they get here sometime," Soeltner said. "It's going to be a while."

Soeltner might not see the first ship until this weekend. A full fleet of Coast Guard ice cutters have been working around the clock, trying to get traffic moving. "The ice is so thick on the Great Lakes that it's so hard to get through without escort from the Coast Guard," Allen Frappier, Soo Locks Chief of Lock Operations, said.

The ice is also a big problem in the locks. Workers have brought in extra air compressors to pump steam through the system, so the gates don't freeze shut once the ships are ready to come through. Even if everything runs smoothly, it is still a slow start to the shipping season.

It's not clear how much it will effect the economy, but this delay will make for a busier summer at the locks. "Vessels will have to make up for lost loads throughout the season, so it will probably be busier once the weather is a little nicer," Frappier said.

Up North Live





Green Bay ice breaking operations announced

3/27 - Green Bay, Wis. – The U.S. Coast Guard will be conducting ice breaking operations in Green Bay between the Marinette/ Menominee harbor breakwall and Rock Island Passage to allow commercial vessels to access Marinette/Menominee harbor. These operations will likely occur on Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30.





Ice thick as season opens on St. Marys River

3/27 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – A United States Coast Guard spokesman predicted a “challenging” passage for the icebreaker Mackinaw and two accompanying Bay class vessels as they open the 2014-15 navigation season on the St. Marys River.

Their escort of three ore carriers began in Duluth, Minn. on Monday night. Ken Curry, vessel traffic management specialist with Sector Sault of the U.S.C.G., expected earlier this week the ships would arrive at Whitefish Bay by Friday. Satellite images indicated their likely route would follow the Canadian shoreline, where last weekend’s strong northwest winds opened a passage.

The heavy icebreaker Mackinaw, 240 feet, and the 140-foot icebreakers Katmai Bay and Morro Bay, must deal with plate ice at 20 to 24 inches, topped with two feet of hard-packed snow and windrows of up to 12 feet in Whitefish Bay, Curry said.

The passage of the icebreakers and the barge, Presque Isle, owned by Litton Great Lakes, and two USS freighters, Cason J. Callaway and John G. Munson, both about 770 feet, should go comparatively well in the open water along the north shore of Lake Superior. The vessels contain taconite for delivery in southern Lake Michigan.

Allan Frappier, chief of lock operations at the Soo Locks, said the system would open Monday night. He expected the vessels late on the weekend. “There’s lots of ice up and down the river,” Frappier said, but “The locks are open and ready to go.”

The icebreakers arrived in the lower river on Wednesday, March 19 to work below the locks, helping to clear the gates, then locked through for Duluth last Friday, March 21, he said.

Sault This Week





Winter fleet is shipping out

3/27 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Stewart J. Cort left about 7:15 p.m. Monday and the Paul R. Tregurtha left at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday after their winter layup at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay. The departure of the Great Lakes ships is another sign of spring, as the Soo Locks opened in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. for the shipping season Tuesday.

Ice conditions may delay some vessel travel, but several large ships already left Sturgeon Bay, including the Hon. James L. Oberstar, Wilfred Sykes, Joseph L. Block and Arthur M. Anderson. Those still in Sturgeon Bay include the Edgar B. Speer, set to leave Thursday; the James R. Barker, April 1; American Mariner on April 2; CSL Niagara on April 4 and the Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin on April 23.

[Avenger]

Nice video. Looks cold up there.

[yachtsmanwilly]

We're still running a steady 10-20 degrees behind you right coasters...WTF is spring?? Right now its 32-1/16F and raining. Boats' in the shade and theres still 2 feet of that white shit underneath it. She needs a quart of varnish and a new paint job on the deck. Still have a gallon of that stuff we used on the Hatteras. Kiwi (oops!) deck paint?
Speaking of which, I heard they found his frozen body on the crapper outside in the out house on his farm. They weren't sure if they wanted to wait for thawing to do the autopsy or light the outhouse on fire and just go "Viking" style LOL... ws

[Avenger]

It ain't exactly balmy here either. But at least the snow and ice has melted. That white flag on the snow shoverl really worked. We haven't had more than an inch of snow since I put it out.