Today in Great Lakes History

[yachtsmanwilly]

Port Reports - August 13

Duluth, Minn.
Canada’s last steam-powered vessel, Algoma Montrealais, was discharging cement Tuesday in Duluth.

St. Marys River
After passing through the locks downbound Tuesday afternoon, the Edwin H. Gott turned around above the Mud Lake Junction Light and headed back upstream to the Nine Mile anchorage. The reason is unknown. She was still there Tuesday in the late evening. The saltie Gadwall was at the Essar Export Dock Tuesday and Federal Margaree was anchored above DeTour.

Muskegon, Mich.
The saltwater vessel HR Constitution arrived Monday to unload windmill towers from Europe. The Andrie tug Meredith Ashton helped them to the dock.

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
Manitowoc was heading to the Jonick dock Tuesday evening.

Cobourg, Ont. – Andre Blanchard
Over the last few weeks, AIS has been showing the SAR vessel CCGS Cape Dundas at Cobourg, Ont. For the last several years, CCGS Cape Mercy has been at this station. It appears there has been a change of vessels on station

Seaway – Ron Beaupre
Monday at about 10 p.m. the Federal Mackinac hit the ship arrestor in Lock 3. This event delayed the upbound Cedarglen and the downbound ships John B Aird, Everlast with her barge Norman McLeod, Puffin, and Manitoba. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, a new ship arrestor boom had been installed.





Buffalo area partners to conduct full-scale international security exercise

8/13 - Buffalo, N.Y. – An upcoming exercise on the Niagara River, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, will bring together federal, state, local and Canadian law enforcement partners in a multi-agency exercise designed to prepare for and prevent cross-border terrorist and criminal activity.

There are no known threats against the area but boaters may notice an increased presence of law enforcement assets on the water.

The Monroe County Emergency Management Office organized and Department of Homeland Security sponsored the full-scale, multi-jurisdictional exercise. The exercise coordinates a response to a possible waterborne threat in Lake Ontario and will include activities in Buffalo, Niagara, Oswego, and Rochester.

“This drill exemplifies the long-standing relationships that exist among our local, State, Federal, and International partners,” said Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks. “Monroe County is home to some of the best trained and best equipped first-responders in the nation. While we certainly hope this scenario never becomes a reality, we can rest assured knowing that our local first-responders are prepared to protect our families, friends, and neighbors in the unfortunate event it does.”

This scenario calls for a multi-agency response based on intelligence gathered from U.S. and Canadian officials.

“The Great Lakes are a shared bi-national treasure, and threats on either side of the border impact both countries,” said Rear Adm. Fred Midgette, commander of the Coast Guard 9th District.

“U.S. and Canadian forces work seamlessly to protect life and the environment on the Great Lakes, so bi-national security is an important collaboration, too. The objective of the exercise is to protect the region in collaboration with our Canadian partners, and learn invaluable lessons about defense and how to leverage each other’s efforts for the benefit of all.”

“This exercise a great example of how our two countries’ law enforcement agencies work together to stop criminals from exploiting our shared border,” said Superintendent Robert Kempf, Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

A variety of security challenges require collaboration and partnership among the participating governing agencies on both sides of the border.

“Not only does this exercise give us an opportunity to integrate operations with our state and local partners, it also is a useful opportunity to work alongside the agencies in the Department of Homeland Security,” said Dan Hiebert, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent, Buffalo Sector Border Patrol.

“The U.S. and Canada are significant trading partners and it’s critical that we can ensure an unimpeded flow of legal goods and commerce across our shared secure border.”





Lookback #269 – Howard Hindman departed Quebec City for scrapyard on Aug. 13, 1969

8/13 - After 59 years of plying the Great Lakes, the second Howard Hindman was sold to Spanish shipbreakers and departed Quebec City, under tow of the tug Mississippi, on this date in 1969. Along for the ride was the Humberdoc, another retired laker, consigned to the same fate.

The former ship had spent most of its career sailing under the banner of the Pioneer Steamship Co. as A.A. Augustus. It had been built at Lorain, Ohio, in 1910, and concentrated in the ore, coal and grain trades on the upper four Great Lakes.

It had already been sold for scrap once passing to Marine Salvage in May 1961 but the 524-foot-long ship still had some life left and proved to be a fine fit in the Hindman fleet during the early years of the St. Lawrence Seaway. They purchased the bulk carrier later in 1961 and, after a refit, it resumed sailing as Howard Hindman while registered in London, England.

Registry was moved to Canada in 1965 and the Howard Hindman was generally busy. It was idle at Owen Sound, however, in 1968 but came back out in 1969. The return proved to be brief as the vessel ran aground in the Little Rapids Cut of the St. Mary's River on April 29, 1969, after the steering cables parted. Howard Hindman temporarily returned to service, but the damage was too severe to warrant repairs so it was resold to Marine Salvage. This time they sold it to Spanish shipbreakers.

The vessel came down the Welland Canal under its own power, carrying a cargo of salt, on June 6, 1969, and after unloading tied up at Quebec City. It left for overseas 45-years ago today and arrived at Bilbao on Sept. 6, 1969, for dismantling.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - August 13

Operated by a crew of retired Hanna captains, chief engineers and executives, the GEORGE M. HUMPHREY departed the old Great Lakes Engineering Works yard in Ecorse, Michigan, under her own power on August 13, 1986, for Lauzon, Quebec. The HUMPHREY cleared Lauzon September 3rd with the former Hanna steamer PAUL H. CARNAHAN in tow of the Dutch tug SMIT LLOYD 109. The tow locked through the Panama Canal, September 27-30, and arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan December 10, 1986 completing a trip of over 14,000 miles. The HUMPHREY was scrapped in 1987, by Shiong Yek Steel Corp.

On 13 August 1899, H. G. CLEVELAND (wooden schooner, 137 foot 264 tons, built in 1867, at Black River, Ohio) sank with a full load of limestone, 7 miles from the Cleveland harbor entrance.

August 13, 1980 - The ARTHUR K. ATKINSON returned to service after repairing a broken crankshaft suffered in 1973. She brought 18 railcars from Manitowoc to Frankfort.

The 272 foot, 1,740 gross ton, wooden propeller freighter SITKA was launched by F. W. Wheeler (Hull#32) at W. Bay City, Michigan on 13 August 1887.

1986 INDIANA HARBOR set a Toledo and Lake Erie record, loading 55,047 tons of coal at Toledo for Marquette.

1917: The barge MIDDLESEX of the Ontario Transportation and Pulp Company broke loose and stranded at Rapide Plat in the St. Lawrence. The ship was abandoned to the insurers but salvaged and returned to service as b) WOODLANDS in 1918.

1979: IRISH OAK first came to the Great Lakes in 1960 for Irish Shipping Ltd. The vessel went aground near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as c) VEGAS on this date in 1979, while enroute from Piraeus, Greece, to Vietnam. The hull was refloated on October 28, 1979, and reached Jeddah on November 16, 1979. It was sold for scrapping at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, and arrived there on January 29, 1980.

1982: EUTHALIA visited the Seaway for the first time in 1972. It caught fire in the engine room as d) FORUM SPIRIT enroute from Port Said, Egypt, to Piraeus, Greece, and was abandoned by most of the crew. While it was towed into Piraeus on August 14, the vessel was declared a total loss. The ship arrived at Split, Yugoslavia, again under tow, for scrapping on March 6, 1984.

1993: The second CORFU ISLAND to visit the Great Lakes came inland in 1970. This SD14 cargo carrier had been built the previous year and returned as b) LOYALTY in 1980. Later that fall, the ship arrived at Basrah, Iraq, from Duluth with severe missile damage resulting from the Iraq-Iran War. The ship was declared a total loss but remained idle there until being towed away on August 13, 1993. LOYALTY arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, for scrapping on September 22, 1993.

[yachtsmanwilly]

July best month for U.S.-flag lakers in two years

8/14 - Cleveland, Ohio – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters moved 11,365,550 tons of cargo in July, their highest monthly total in two years. The industry’s July total also represented increases of 8.6 percent compared to June and 10.2 percent compared to a year ago.

Iron ore for steel production totaled 5.3 million tons, an increase of nearly 15 percent compared to a year ago. Higher water levels did allow for some cargos to approach 70,000 tons, but even so, the vessels were still less than full. With 18 million cubic yards of sediment clogging ports and waterways, only dredging will fully restore the Great Lakes Navigation System.

Coal cargos totaled 2.1 million tons, a slight increase compared to a year ago. Loadings on Lake Superior were virtually unchanged from a year ago. Shipments from Lake Erie ports soared 65 percent, but loadings on Lake Michigan fell 50 percent.

Shipments of limestone reached their highest level in two years, 3.4 million tons, an increase of more than 10 percent compared to a year ago.

Year-to-date, U.S.-flag cargo movement stands at 38.4 million tons, a decrease of 10.8 percent compared to a year ago. Even though 55 U.S.-flag lakers were in service in July, an increase of five hulls compared to a year ago, the fleet has yet to overcome the thousands of hours lost to heavy ice formations in March and April. Iron ore cargos are down by 14 percent. Coal trails last year by 5.8 percent. Loadings of limestone are 8.7 percent off last year’s pace.

Decreases in cargo totals are not the only impact of the brutal winter. Repairing the damage that ice did to U.S.-flag lakers has cost LCA’s members more than $5.7 million.

Lake Carriers’ Association





Port Reports - August 14

Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Wilfred Sykes was expected to arrive at Port Inland during the early morning on Wednesday. Also due on Wednesday was the John J. Boland in the late afternoon. The Boland is expected to return again on Friday in the late afternoon to load.

Cedarville, Mich. – Denny Dushane
The barge Ashtabula and tug Defiance were expected to arrive during the early evening on Wednesday to load. Also expected to arrive in the early evening on Wednesday was the Philip R. Clarke. Wilfred Sykes is due at Cedarville on Friday in the late evening.

Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
There are no vessels scheduled for arrival on Wednesday and Thursday. The next vessel will be the Cason J. Callaway on Friday in the early morning, loading at the South Dock.

Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
John G. Munson was expected to arrive early evening on Wednesday. Also due on Wednesday was the Pathfinder in the late evening. Pathfinder will be going to anchor and is expected to get a dock following the Munson's departure around midnight-1 a.m. on Thursday. Due on Thursday is the Lewis J. Kuber in the morning. Great Republic is due on Friday during the early evening. Four vessels are expected to arrive on Saturday to load, with the Joseph H. Thompson arriving first in the early morning, followed by the Great Lakes Trader. John G. Munson is due back in the late morning, and the Pathfinder returns to load in the early afternoon. Algomarine is expected to arrive on Sunday in the early morning.

Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Algoma Progress is due at the CSX Coal Dock on Friday during the early afternoon. Sam Laud and James L. Kuber are due to load on Saturday, with the Laud loading in the morning followed by the Kuber in the early evening. American Mariner is due on Monday, August 18 in the early morning, and Algoma Progress is due back on Wednesday, August 20 in the early morning. There is nothing due at the Midwest Terminal Stone Dock. Both Hon. James L. Oberstar and H. Lee White are due at the Torco Dock on Saturday to unload iron ore in the early morning. James L. Kuber is also due on Saturday in the late morning. Whitefish Bay is due on Tuesday, August 19 in the late morning and the James L. Kuber is due back on Friday, August 22 in the early afternoon. The tug Huron Service and barge were in port at the time of this report, as was the detained saltwater vessel Fritz of Liberian registry. Adam E. Cornelius, American Fortitude and American Valor remain in lay-up.

Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
Neah Bay came in Wednesday around 6 p.m. for the Visiting Ship's Dock at the North Pier.

Oshawa, Ont. – Andre Blanchard
The Marshall Islands-flagged bulker Federal Satsuki departed Oshawa Wednesday evening on its way to Montreal. The Antigua & Barbuda-flagged bulker Three Rivers arrived in Oshawa. Tugs La Prairie and Omni-Richelieu were on station to assist.

Bowmanville, Ont. – Andre Blanchard
The tug Petite Forte arrived at the St. Mary's Cement Dock Wednesday.





Lookback #270 – Federal Maas had wing clipped at Iroquois on Aug. 14, 2004

8/14 - It was 10 years ago today that the second Federal Maas had an accident at the Iroquois Lock. As the ship was departing the lock downbound, the port wing of the pilothouse clipped the bascule bridge, which no one had noticed had not been fully raised. The ship was damaged but cleared to proceed.

The 646-foot, 2-inch-long bulk carrier had been built at Shanghai, China, in 1997 and joined the Fednav fleet early in the year. It came through the Seaway for the first time on June 7, 1997, with a cargo of steel for Hamilton.

To the end of the 2013 season, Federal Maas had made 41 trips to the Great Lakes and, save for the incident of August 14, 2004, they have been generally without any trouble.

The vessel has carried steel, wheat, soybeans, grain, sugar, manganese ore, flax and canola while on the freshwater seas. Among the inland ports the ship has visited are Toronto, Hamilton, Detroit, Chicago, Duluth, Milwaukee, Toledo, Goderich, Oshawa, Thunder Bay, Ashtabula, Sault Ste. Marie, Indiana Harbor, Burns Harbor and Windsor.

Federal Maas remains an active member of the Montreal-based Fednav fleet. An earlier Federal Maas is still sailing as Mapleglen (iii) in the Canada Steamship Lines fleet.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - August 14

On this day in 1962, the ARTHUR M. ANDERSON departed Conneaut and headed downbound to become the first Pittsburgh boat to transit the Welland Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway.

At 11 p.m., 14 August 1882, the steam barge CHICAGO, 206 foot, 935 gross tons of 1855, was carrying coal on Lake Michigan while towing the barge MANITOWOC, 210.5 feet, 569 gross tons of 1868. In mid-lake, near Fox Island, CHICAGO was discovered to be on fire. Within 15 minutes, she was ablaze. Her crew escaped to her barge-consort MANITOWOC. The CHICAGO burned to the water's edge and sank the following day.

Sea trials for the HENRY FORD II took place on August 14, 1924, and shortly after she left on her maiden voyage with coal from Toledo, Ohio to Duluth, Minnesota and returned with iron ore to the Ford Rouge Plant at Dearborn.

After been sold for scrap, the GOVERNOR MILLER was towed down the Soo Locks on August 14, 1980, for Milwaukee, Wisconsin to load scrap.

On 14 August 1873, CHESTER B. JONES (3-mast, wooden schooner, 167 foot, 493 gross tons) was launched at East Saginaw, Michigan. She was built by Chesley Wheeler. The spars and top hamper ordered for her were broken in a logjam, so the 3-master received her spars at Buffalo, New York on her first trip.

The 149 foot bark MARY E. PEREW was found floating west of the Manitou Islands by the propeller MONTGOMERY on 14 August 1871. The PEREW had been sailing to Milwaukee with a load of coal when a storm came upon her so quickly on 8 August (nearly a week before MONTGOMERY found her) that the crew did not have time to trim the sails. All three masts were snapped and the mizzen mast fell on the yawl, smashing it. So the crew was stuck on the ship, unable to navigate. The MONTGOMERY towed her to Milwaukee where she was rebuilt and she lasted until 1905.

On 14 August 1900, the tug WILLIAM D of the Great Lakes Towing Co. got under the bow of the steamer WAWATAM at Ashtabula, Ohio, and was rolled over and sank. One drowned.

August 14, 1899 - W. L. Mercereau, known as the "Father of the Fleet,” became Superintendent of Steamships for the Pere Marquette Railway.

1936: Registration for the wooden steamer MARY H. BOYCE was closed. The ship, which had burned at Fort William in 1928, was scuttled in deep water off Isle Royale in 1936.The vessel had been an early member of the Paterson fleet.

1950: The Canada Steamship Lines passenger carrier QUEBEC caught fire near Tadoussac, Quebec, and was able to reach the dock. Of the 426 passengers on board, 3 lives were lost. The blaze was considered suspicious as it began in a linen closet. The vessel was a total loss.

1961: The wooden diesel-powered tug NORTH STAR IV had visited the Great Lakes as b) ROCKY RIVER and had been used to handle the barges BLACK RIVER and PIC RIVER for the Quebec & Ontario Transportation Co. The vessel was serving under her fourth name when she stranded on a rock in James Bay while doing hydrographic survey work. The crew was rescued but the vessel was a total loss. The rocky area is now called North Star Shoal.

1986: GABRIELLA came through the Seaway in 1975 when only a year old. The ship capsized at Port Kembla, Australia, while discharging a 227-ton heavy lift on this date. The vessel was turned upside down, refloated in November 1986 and towed 30 miles out to sea and scuttled on December 9, 1986.

2004: FEDERAL MAAS was damaged at the Iroquois Lock when the wing of the pilothouse struck the edge of the bascule bridge.

2005: The Cypriot freighter ULLA visited the Seaway in September 1995 with cocoa beans for Valleyfield, QC and returned, in ballast, in November 1996 for Port Robinson. It was in a collision as f) REEF PEMBA with the GAS VISION and sank off Oman on this date in 2005. The crew was saved.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Lakes’ July ore float best in 6 years

8/15 - Cleveland, Ohio – Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 7,231,506 tons in July, the highest level since July 2008 when 7,318,961 tons were loaded at U.S. and Canadian ports. This July’s total also represents an increase of 8.6 percent over June and 10.2 percent over a year ago.

U.S. Great Lakes ports accounted for the upturn. Loadings totaled 6,681,796 tons, an increase of nearly 18 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian ports in the Seaway decreased nearly 30 percent, in part because of the closure of Wabush Mines.

Higher water levels have helped the trade rebound after suffering endless delays in March and April when heavy ice formations covered the Lakes. The largest iron ore cargo loaded in the Head-of-the-Lakes trade in July totaled 69,859 tons. Even so, that cargo was 2,441 tons less than the record for the ore trade through the Soo Locks, and year-to-date, iron ore shipments are still more than 10 percent off last year’s pace.

Lake Carriers’ Association





Bank hopes for quick sale of Yorktown following arrest, auction

8/15 - KfW IPEX-Bank confirmed the arrest and auction of the 138-passenger Yorktown, which had sailed for New York-based Travel Dynamics International until the spring.

Claiming it is owed a reported $9.85m by Explorer Maritime Cruises, controlled by Vasos Papagapitos, co-president of Travel Dynamics, KfW had the vessel seized in Florida and auctioned July 30 in Jacksonville, where it was acquired by KfW through credit bid.

The vessel visited the Great Lakes several times last season but has not been inland in 2014.

“The bank does not have the intention to hold the vessel and is actively marketing the vessel,” a KfW spokeswoman told Seatrade Insider. Yorktown is available for inspection at Green Cove Springs, near Jacksonville.

TradeWinds reported KfW, a German government export credit agency, originally issued the loan to Explorer Maritime Cruises so it could order the 120-berth Orion at Cassens Werft. The ship was later swapped for Yorktown in a $10m loan deal, according to TradeWinds, citing legal filings. (The 2003-built Orion is currently sailing as National Geographic Orion.)

Travel Dynamics had acquired the 2,354gt Yorktown from General Electric Capital Corp. in autumn 2011 and deployed it on coastal voyages in the US, Canada and the Great Lakes starting the following spring.

The ship had previously sailed as Spirit of Yorktown for Cruise West. It was built as Yorktown Clipper in 1988 at First Coast Shipbuilding Co. in Green Cove Springs, and operated for Clipper Cruise Line before being acquired by Cruise West.

TradeWinds said Yorktown had been idled in March due to cash issues at Explorer Maritime Cruises.

That same month Boston-based Grand Circle Cruise Line converted its charter of Travel Dynamics' Corinthian into an acquisition. The price was undisclosed. The 98-passenger ship was built as Renaissance IV in 1990.

Travel Dynamics is continuing to operate Corinthian throughout 2014 with Grand Circle assuming operational control when the ship returns to Antarctica in the fall. In addition, Grand Circle said it had entered into a long-term agreement with Travel Dynamics to provide itineraries on Corinthian and its other small ships for Travel Dynamics' educational programs.

Those ships include the 50-passenger Artemis and Arethusa, built in 2007, for which Travel Dynamics is promoting Mediterranean cruises in July and August next year.

Seatrade Insider





Lake Superior research ship snags sunken century-old barge

8/15 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – Lake Superior has turned up a new wreck not far from Thunder Bay. An American fisheries research vessel accidentally snagged an old barge that may have sunk in the Cloud Bay area more than 100 years ago.

Superior Underwater Exploration Society members like Richard Harvey hope to clean up the century-old barge sitting at the bottom of Lake Superior to make it safe for divers to explore.

Nipigon Mayor Richard Harvey said the research vessel Kiyi caught something in its net around the beginning of July, and had to cut itself loose. Harvey was part of a local dive team that went down with sonar apparatus last weekend to take a closer look.

“We just hovered around the bottom of the lake bed. And Chris Berner, the fellow I was diving with, simply pointed behind me,” he said.

“I turned around and there she was. There’s nothing like coming on to something that has been sitting in its watery grave for over a 100 years. And no one has seen it.”

Harvey said there are stories of a schooner pulling a barge that sank in that area more than a century ago. The wreckage needs to cleared of netting and rigging to make it safe for divers to explore in future, he said.

"We want to obviously get back out there. We've located the barge. We'd like to see what else is out there,” Harvey continued. “The big issue [is] … there's very heavy-duty nets that were hung up on that wreck.”

Harvey is vice-president of the Superior Underwater Exploration Society.

CBC





Port Reports - August 15

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
Saginaw arrived at about 10 p.m. Thursday.

Toronto, Ont. – Jens Juhl
Redpath has commenced laying in the winter stockpile of sugar at Terminal 52 and where the geared bulker Chestnut is alongside discharging a cargo of sugar. The bulker is using its deck cranes equipped with clamshell grab buckets to unload the sugar.





Twin Ports host historic lakers, abundant construction activity

8/15 - Duluth, Minn. – Duluth-Superior hosted two of the lakes' most venerable ships on Aug. 13 Both delivered cargoes of powdered cement. Algoma Montrealais was berthed at the Holcim terminal in Duluth on the last day of her typical multi-day unload. Alpena arrived at sunrise and made briefer-than-usual stop at the Lafarge terminal in Superior. Both vessels cleared very early on Thursday morning headed for ports on the Ontario side of Lake Superior. Montrealais departed through the Duluth ship canal and slow-belled up the north shore, cleaning her holds along the way before loading grain at Thunder Bay. Alpena cleared using the Superior ship canal with a partial cargo still aboard destined for delivery to the remote cement terminal at Heron Bay, near Marathon, Ont.

Two other ships with inbound cargo Wednesday included Algolake, which cleared light after delivering rock salt to Hallett 8 and headed for Two Harbors to load taconite pellets, and American Courage, which delivered limestone to the Graymont plant before sailing light to Silver Bay, also to load taconite pellets.

CSL Laurentien loaded taconite pellets at CN in Duluth overnight Wednesday, clearing Thursday morning just after sunrise. James R. Barker arrived just after the Laurentien cleared and stopped at Calumet fuel before loading coal at Midwest Energy. Edgar B. Speer arrived Thursday afternoon to a big crowd at the Duluth ship canal. The Speer also made a stop at Calumet, and was then scheduled to load taconite pellets at Burlington Northern in Superior.

Several work barges and tugs could be seen around the port Thursday as numerous projects are underway. What appeared to be a maintenance dredge was working the channel just to the north of Hallett 8 in Superior. Roen Salvage equipment was stationed in the area of the old 21st Avenue Channel on the west side of Rice's Point, as progress continues on a habitat restoration pilot project.

A spate of dock face renovation work has been underway recently. Thursday evening a spud barge was stationed east side of CN Dock 6 in Duluth. That side of the ore dock has been idled for a decade or so in relation to concerns about the stability of the underlying structure. In recent years CN has done major reinforcement work to the dock faces on the active west side of Dock 6, along both the gravity chutes at the outer end and the shuttle conveyor shiploader nearer to shore. It appears that similar reinforcing work is now nearing completion East of 6.

Another work barge was alongside at General Mills S in Superior. New steel and concrete mooring stations were installed there a decade ago at strategic places along the elevator, in the midst of a century-old timber dock face. Last year General Mills commenced a much more comprehensive renovation of the facility which included work throughout the elevator complex. The most visible part of this major work included the removal of four of the nine towers that crowned the "S" elevator, the oldest and tallest part of the terminal. This renovation also included what appears to be a full rebuild of the portions of the dock not renewed previously. General Mills S resumed shipments back in June, so presumably any remaining work on the dock face involves finishing touches.

A shore based crane and a raft of smaller work platforms has also appeared at the outer end of the slip at the Duluth Storage grain terminal's Berth 1. It appears that work on the dock face there has begun as well. This facility is the former Cargill "B" complex and is now owned by the Canadian firm Ceres Global Ag.

Work has temporarily waned at Fraser Shipyard in Superior, where work on two phases of major dock face reconstruction appears to have finished up earlier this summer. Activity is expected to resume in Howard's Pocket at some point in the near future, as funding has been secured for Fraser's third phase of upgrades, which include construction of a section of completely new pier and dock face where a bay of shallow water exists today.

Refurbishment and dock face construction is also on the horizon at Duluth Port Authority - owned Garfield Pier on Rice's Point, which is slated for major infrastructure upgrades to prepare it for future use as a general cargo terminal.





NY manufacturing boosts aluminum shipments to Port of Oswego

8/15 - Oswego, N.Y. – Shipments of aluminum products through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Port of Oswego are expected to increase by 30 percent this year due to strong demand from aluminum sheet manufacturers catering to the automotive industry.

The Port of Oswego is experiencing record levels of aluminum shipments and is forecasting that more than 120,000 metric tons will be delivered to the port in 2014. The aluminum is shipped by barge from the Aluminerie Alouette facility in Sept-Iles, Quebec – the largest aluminum smelter in the Americas.

The ingots are being used by the aluminum sheet manufacturer Novelis, which has recently added two new automotive finishing production lines in Oswego and is currently constructing a third line to meet rapidly growing demand by auto manufacturers such as Ford. The Port of Oswego expects aluminum shipments to increase even more in 2015 as this new line begins production.

Aluminerie Alouette expects to ship close to 500,000 metric tons of primary aluminum to U.S. ports including Oswego, New York, Toledo, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan the next three years.

Port of Oswego





Illinois company is latest to test market for carp

8/15 - Grafton, Ill. – When they arrive at the processing plant, the fish that have been cursed as a menace to American lakes and rivers are raked onto a conveyer belt, some of them still flopping.

Brought by the boatload to this facility north of St. Louis, the Asian carp quickly meet a gruesome fate: They are ground to a bloody pulp in a maze of machines that churn their bony bodies into dehydrated meal and fish oil.

A company called American Heartland Fish Products is the latest to venture into the small but growing business of carp-rendering, and their experiment offers another test of whether private enterprise can help reduce invasive species by turning them into food, be it for humans or more likely livestock.

For plant workers, purging the nation's waterways of carp that muscle out native fish for food and habitat isn't about balancing nature. It's strictly about making money.

"The government wants this fish removed in large volumes, and this is the way to do it," said Gray Magee, chief executive of the company, which began processing the carp in April atop a bluff near Grafton, a tiny tourist hamlet perched along the banks where the Mississippi and Illinois rivers meet.

Heartland joins Schafer Fisheries, which more than a decade ago expanded its northern Illinois operations near the Mississippi to include carp after focusing entirely on catfish. A similar venture was launched recently in Kentucky, and yet another carp-processing site has been proposed for a site along the Illinois River near Peoria.

The idea of eliminating carp by eating them, much promoted only a few years ago, has been fairly slow to take hold in the business world.

Partly because they're so bony, Asian carp have drawn little interest among U.S. consumers. The few Americans who make a living exporting carp face big challenges: Profit margins are thin because of freight and fishing costs. And the carp have soft flesh that can spoil quickly if not processed rapidly and packed in ice.

American Heartland originally targeted exports to China but turned to the domestic market when a contract fizzled. Now some experts say a recent fall-off in the world's anchovy supplies could open a new market for carp as a replacement in animal feed.

Still, the industry has grown to a point where some fish experts have begun to worry about what happens to carp businesses if they actually succeed in helping to wipe the species out.

"In an odd way, I wonder about the overall supply," said Carol Engle, director of the aquaculture fisheries center at the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff. "In this case, we want to overfish them. But if we accomplish this, what are these companies going to do?"

Exactly how many Asian carp clog U.S. rivers and to what extent those fish are processed and exported is murky, though global consumption appears to be rising.

According to Engle, 7.8 million tons of farm-raised silver and bighead carp -- a delicacy in China -- were sold worldwide in 2012, up roughly 1.4 million tons from five years earlier. Some 28 percent more Asian carp is consumed worldwide than pollock, the variety commonly found in fresh and frozen fillets, fish sticks and other breaded and battered products.

Bighead and silver carp, which have migrated up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, are a particularly serious threat because they eat plankton -- microscopic plants and animals that are essential components of aquatic food webs. If they reach the Great Lakes, scientists say, carp could out-compete other fish for food and decimate the $7 billion-a-year fishing industry.

Developing new markets is difficult, as American Heartland learned since it made a ballyhooed announcement two years ago that it would partner with a contingent of Chinese investors to ship the fish to Asia. Without elaborating, Magee said that deal ultimately imploded, leading American Heartland to focus instead on animal feed markets.

That was sensible, Engle said, especially with the recent overfishing of anchovies, a key ingredient in animal feed.

“No one is getting rich on (carp processing) -- not yet anyway," said Duane Chapman, a fish biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey in Columbia, Missouri. "But you might as well make lemonade from lemons."

Associated Press





Final Bells

Obituary: Captain Robert James McClelland
Captain Robert (Bob) James McClelland, a veteran of Canada Steamship Lines, the C.W. Cadwell and the tall ship Empire Sandy, died August 3 at Kingston, Ont., in his 85th year.

Obituary: Author George W. Hilton
George W. Hilton, 89, a retired UCLA professor, author and transportation economist known for his study of railroads and shipping, died Aug. 4 of heart failure in Columbia, Md.

In 1962 Hilton joined the faculty of UCLA, where he taught economics and transportation regulation until retiring in 1992. He was the author of 15 books. He was honored in 2005 by the Marine Historical Society of Detroit with its Historian of the Year Award.

"George was a great historian for lost causes and great failures," said Herbert H. Harwood Jr., a retired CSX Corp. executive, and a nationally known railroad historian and author. "That resulted in the definitive histories of the American narrow-gauge railroads, the electric interurban railway industry, cable-powered street railways, overnight steamships along the coasts and in the Great Lakes.

Among his books were "The Great Lakes Car Ferries" (1962), "The Ma & Pa: A History of the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad" (1963), "Eastland: Legacy of the Titanic" (1995) and a book on baseball, "The Annotated Baseball Stories of Ring Lardner" (1995).

Los Angeles Times





Lookback #271 – Crew of former Rocky River rescued in Hudson Bay on Aug. 15, 1961

8/15 - The wooden-hulled tug known on the Great Lakes as Satinleaf and Rocky River had a diverse career serving different owners in a variety of capacities.

This was mainly a saltwater tug that had been built at Everett, Wash. in 1944. It was armed and operated on the South Pacific setting navigational aids. The ship received two battle stars for its war service.

Satinleaf came to the freshwater lakes in 1947 for the Great Lakes Lumber and Shipping Co. It was used to tow pulpwood barges from Lake Superior to Wisconsin ports but joined the Quebec & Ontario Transportation Co. in 1949 becoming Rocky River.

Under Q. & O., the tug towed the barges Black River and Pic River and their loads of pulpwood, coal or newsprint until the ships were rebuilt as powered freighters.

Rocky River then went to the Atlantic as Foundation Josephine II in 1952 working as a salvage tug.

It was sold and renamed North Star IV in 1960 and was lost in James Bay while doing hydrological survey work. The vessel struck an uncharted rock pinnacle on Aug. 14, 1961, forcing the crew and surveyors to abandon ship. They were picked up by the coastal freighter Fort Severn 55-years ago today and taken to safety. The ship lasted 2-3 more days on the rock and then slid back into deep water as a total loss. The location is now called North Star Shoal.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - August 15

On this day in 1899, a major blockage of the St. Marys River occurred. The steamer MATOA was towing the barge MAIDA past Sailors Encampment when the steering chain of the MAIDA parted. The MAIDA ran ashore but the current swung her around to completely block the channel, and she sank. The lower St. Marys River was closed for several days and 80 - 90 boats were delayed.

The whaleback barge 107 (steel whaleback barge, 276 foot, 1,295 gross tons) was launched by the American Steel Barge Co., at W. Superior, Wisconsin. She only lasted eight years. In 1898, she broke free from the tug ALVA B in rough weather and stranded near Cleveland, Ohio and was wrecked.

JOSEPH L. BLOCK sailed light on her maiden voyage from the Bay Ship Building Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin to load 32,600 long tons of taconite ore pellets at Escanaba, Michigan for delivery to Indiana Harbor, Indiana on August 15, 1976.

In 1991, ALGOSTEEL was outbound at Superior when a small, smoky fire broke out in the electrical panel. The ship went to anchor and then returned to port for repairs. The trip resumed on August 24.

The OTTERCLIFFE HALL, the last "straight deck" Great Lakes bulk freighter built with a pilot house forward, was bare boat chartered to Misener Transportation Ltd. on August 15, 1983, renamed b.) ROYALTON. In 1985, renamed c.) OTTERCLIFFE HALL, d.) PETER MISENER in 1988, and e.) CANADIAN TRADER in 1994. She was scrapped at Alang, India in 2004.

Under threat of a strike on August 15, 1978, the uncompleted GEORGE A. STINSON was towed out of Lorain, Ohio by six tugs to River Rouge's Nicholson's Terminal & Dock Co. to finish her fit-out. She was renamed b.) AMERICAN SPIRIT in 2004.

The LEON FALK JR. was laid up for the last time August 15, 1980, at the Great Lakes Engineering Work's old slip at River Rouge, Michigan.

On August 15, 1985, the MENIHEK LAKE sailed under her own power to Quebec City (from there by tug), the first leg of her journey to the cutter’s torch in Spain.

J.P. MORGAN JR arrived in tow of Hannah Marine's tug DARYL C. HANNAH at Buffalo, New York on August 15th where she was delayed until she could obtain clearance to transit the Welland Canal. Permission to pass down the Canal was refused because of the MORGAN JR's improper condition. By September 5, 1980, the situation was rectified and she was towed down the Welland Canal by the tugs BARBARA ANN, STORMONT and ARGUE MARTIN bound for Quebec City.

On 15 August 1856, the WELLAND (sidewheel steamer, wood, passenger & package freight, 145 foot, 300 ton, built 1853, at St. Catharines, Ontario) burned to a total loss at her dock at Port Dalhousie, Ontario. She was owned by Port Dalhousie and Thorold Railroad Co. On 15 August 1873, Thomas Dunford and Frank Leighton announced a co-partnership in the shipbuilding business in Port Huron, Michigan. Their plans included operating from Dunford's yard. When they made their announcement, they already had an order for a large tug from Mr. George E. Brockway. This tug was the CRUSADER with the dimensions of 132 feet overall, 100 foot keel, and 23 foot beam. In 1914, the Panama Canal was officially opened to maritime traffic.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Port Reports - August 17

Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
American Mariner was docked and unloading at General Mills on Saturday.

Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher
On Saturday, Stephen B. Roman unloaded cement. The tug Everlast and tanker Norman McLeod unloaded at the Oswego Steam Station.





Empire Sandy cruise Tuesday in memory of late captain

8/17 - The 200-foot-long tall ship Empire Sandy will host a two-hour cruise in memory of Capt. Robert James McClelland on Tuesday, Aug. 19, departing her dock at the foot of Spadina Avenue in Toronto at 6 p.m. All friends, co-workers and colleagues are welcome to attend this event, which is being provided out of the kindness of the Rogers Family. A dockside gathering will be at 4 p.m.





Lookback #273 – Former Amazonas sank after Mediterranean collision on Aug. 17, 1973

8/17 - Amazonas had been built at Lubeck, West Germany, and launched on April 5, 1952. The 349-foot, 3-inch-long freighter was completed in June and had four cargo holds.

The West German freighter operated on saltwater until coming into the Great Lakes for three trips in 1965. It was back again in 1966. The vessel was sold and registered in Cyprus as Viki in 1972 but was lost the following year.

Viki had taken on a cargo of cement at Chekka, Lebanon, and was bound for Lagos, Nigeria, when it was in a collision with the two-year-old Greek vessel Grebbestroom on Aug. 17, 1973. The accident occurred in the Western Mediterranean 41 years ago today and the ship went down in position of about 37.50 N / 8.00 E.

Despite sailing under four different names, the 346-foot, 6-inch-long Grebbestroom never made it through the Seaway. It only had a 15-year career before being broken up for scrap at Vigo, Spain, in 1986.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - August 18

On August 18, 1987, the CADILLAC was towed by the tugs GLENADA and ELMORE M. MISNER, from Toledo's Frog Pond on the first leg of her journey to be scrapped.

At 4 p.m. on 18 August 1869, the schooner CARLINGFORD was launched at the Fitzgerald and Leighton yard in Port Huron, Michigan with plenty of spectators on hand. Robert Montgomery of Buffalo, the owner, built the vessel for the grain trade. Her capacity was 30,000 bushels of grain. After launching, she still had to have her masts (96 foot, 98 foot and 94 foot) and rigging installed. At the time, she was the largest sailing vessel built in Port Huron. Her dimensions were 155-foot keel, 165-foot overall, 31-foot-6- inch beam and 12-foot 8-inch depth. 50 men worked on her and she cost $35,000.

1905 – The wooden steamer CALEDONIA sank in Lake Superior while towing the barge JOHN M. HUTCHINSON. It was later refloated and returned to service.

1913 – The whaleback steamer ATIKOKAN went ashore in a spectacular grounding at Marine City but was released and returned to service.

1994 – INDIANA HARBOR went to Sturgeon Bay for repairs after going aground at Muskegon, Mich.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Firefighters battle blaze on vessel being scrapped

8/19 - Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. – It took crews from two fire departments five hours to extinguish a blaze aboard a decommissioned 730-foot-long bulk cargo ship today.

The ship, believed to be the former Algonorth, is being cut apart for scrap at the Purvis Marine slip in the Sault's west end.

Prince Township Fire Service joined Sault Ste. Marie Fire Service in the complicated process of extinguishing a blaze started when welders were cutting the ship apart to reclaim the steel of which it is comprised.

"It was complicated to get water to the fire because it was inside the hold," said Sault Ste. Marie Fire Service Platoon Chief Damon Ferris. "There was also an issue of some oil remaining in that area so we had to bring in foam as well."

Soo Today





Duluth-Superior port hums with activity

8/19 - Duluth, Minn. – The speed of industry often is illustrated in a rapid montage of images intended to show in a hurry just how much it takes to make the world go round. The speed of industry eight stories above Interstate 35 is a lot more deliberate than that.

Hundreds of feet out on the Canadian National Railway Co.’s Dock 6 that extends half a mile out into Lake Superior, the train wheels turn slowly enough to track the individual revolutions. The workers step cautiously over taconite pellets spilt everywhere like so many marbles. Up here, everything is coated in fine dust. It makes for a nostalgic, almost sepia-toned view of the world.

Even if — when the bomb bay doors fly open under an ore car — it takes only 10 seconds for the hulk of ore pellets to freefall out, it’s just one in a lineup of 140 cars dumping their payloads one at a time.

Up here, in the rust-colored steel matrix where ore meets water, Mark Erickson spends some of his family’s last days in industry. The Duluth port manager for CN, Erickson is within a year of his impending retirement. But this day, he’s got to oversee the stockpiling onto shore of some 100,000 tons of iron ore. This before instantly changing over the operation to reclaim ore for loading onto the next ship into dock, a vessel called the American Integrity that already is waiting in port.

“I call it ‘calling audibles,’” Erickson said. “We juggle a lot.” Had he worked aboard a ship as opposed to loading them, they’d have said Erickson “worked his way up the hawse pipe,” a phrase used to describe a merchant seaman who climbs the ladder to become a ship’s officer without requiring any traditional maritime schooling.

As it is, Erickson rode the rails all the way to becoming the boss at the end of the rail line.

“I was a third generation DM&IR locomotive operator,” Erickson said. “My family’s bloodlines with the railroad go back to 1906, and we’ll have stayed till June 2015.”

That’s 109 years of industrial know-how coming to an end. There’s a lot of value in that sort of knowledge.

“We’ve got a whole group in their mid-50s who will be retiring in the next 10 years,” said Adele Yorde, spokeswoman for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “It’s a lot different industry than it once was. It’s more high tech.”

The Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Transportation & Logistics Management program are producing the next wave of local industry leaders. And even if it’s not so easy to work up the hawse pipe anymore, there’s still work, and plenty of it.

The Duluth-Superior port appears to be humming with activity in the wake of a spring slowed by stubborn weather. Thick formations of ice lingered deep into spring and stalled shipping on Lake Superior’s ports. But by summer, shipping was back and better, in some respects, than it has been in years. In July, iron ore shipments totaled 7.2 million tons through the Soo Locks that link Lake Superior with the other Great Lakes. It was the highest iron ore tonnage shipped for that month since 2008. Steel mills in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are stockpiling iron ore in an effort to outlast another potentially lingering winter.

“Higher water levels have helped the trade rebound after suffering endless delays in March and April, when heavy ice formations covered the lakes,” reported Glen Nekvasil of the Lake Carriers’ Association based in Ohio.

Higher water allows for increased load capacities.

Thousand-foot lake vessels like the American Integrity, which was in port through Aug. 9, wear the wounds of the early season, with hulls that are marked with paint scrapes from battling the ice.

During a shipping tour Aug. 8 with Yorde, News Tribune staff walked by the Canadian ship Algoma Spirit as it was being weighed down with wheat at the CHS dock in Superior.

Unlike the openly exposed iron ore piles or the coal stockpiles at the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal that get turned over by bulldozers working constantly to prevent spontaneous combustion, the wheat and grain industry is flagging in the port. The United States taught the Ukraine how to grow its own grains, and Australia is coming on as an international supplier, hurting demand for U.S. grains, Yorde explained.

Still, durum wheat with some of the highest manufacture specs continues to leave America’s heartlands and make its way out of Duluth-Superior to the Mediterranean region. There, it remains a staple of international pasta and couscous makers.

“They’re very particular about it,” Yorde said. “The specs are very important.”

Bulgur wheat, too, for flour, bread baking and cereal still leaves the Duluth-Superior port. But 2012’s grain total of 1.065 million tons shipped was the lowest since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened modern shipping traffic between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean in 1959. Compare that to 1978, when 10.2 million tons of grain left the port.

Just as a longshoreman wouldn’t mix bulgur and durum wheats, an ore docker doesn’t mix Minntac and UTAC iron ores. Despite looking similar, the products, from mines in Mountain Iron and Forbes/Eveleth, respectively, are unique.

“They cannot mix,” Erickson said from the dock high above the ore piles. “There’s a chemistry to them and the blast furnace needs to know what pellet they’re using.”

The Duluth-Superior port shipped a record 64 million tons of ore to domestic steel factories in 1953, during the height of the Korean War. Ore shipments may never see those levels again. But there are heydays, and there’s today.

Today, the shipping industry remains vital.

More than 15 million metric tons of international cargo moved in July through the Canadian and American waters of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

“The month of July was extremely busy for our ports on the Great Lakes-Seaway System as they handled high-value cargoes like steel, wind components and machinery that arrived from 13 different countries,” said Rebecca Spruill, director of trade development for the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp.

Some of that cargo reached Duluth, where the Duluth Seaway Port Authority operates the only general cargo terminal on its Clure Public Marine Terminal. Ironically, the terminal sees renewable wind energy components coming and going from its dock, which features the only gantry crane in the Twin Ports.

That the wind energy industry moves parts both easterly and westerly across the globe might seem appropriate considering the nature of wind itself.

But there’s nothing so fickle about the present-day shipping trade. Just as long-depleted red magnetite ore gave way to present-day taconite, and grains give way to cargo, the shipping trade adjusts and moves forward — at the steady speed of industry.

Duluth News Tribune





Port Reports - August 19

Holland, Mich. – Marc Vander Meulen, Justin Olsen
Manistee arrived in Holland Sunday evening with a load of stone. The appreciative spectators at Kollen Park received two salutes as she passed.





Brig Niagara day sail sells out, deck tours still available

8/19 - Toledo, Ohio – All 52 seats aboard the USS Brig Niagara for its day sail from Monroe Mich., to Toledo, Ohio, have sold out, one week ahead of the sailing.

“We are so pleased that people want to experience history first hand by investing in experiences like the USS Niagara day sail,” Christopher Gillcrist, Executive Director of the National Museum of the Great Lakes, said. “Not only does the proceeds from the day sail support the new museum in Toledo, it also supports the USS Brig Niagara, which is critical to preserving War of 1812 history on the Great Lakes.”

The Niagara will arrive in Toledo at the National Museum of the Great Lakes between 2-4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22. Gillcrist urged photographers interested in good shots to find their spots early and make sure they are not on private property. The USS Brig Niagara is part of the Toledo Antique and Classic Boat Show as a restored historic vessel. The show opens to the public on Saturday at 9 a.m. and runs through Sunday till 3 p.m.

Attendees to the show can view the Niagara from the upper dock at the museum with a Boat Show Ticket purchase or by taking a deck tour of the Niagara by purchasing an Explorer ticket. Boat Show tickets are $5 per person. Explorer Pass tickets are $15 per person. This ticket entitles the bearer to see the boat show, get a deck tour of the Niagara, visit the National Museum of the Great Lakes and the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship. Kids six and under are free and there are discounts for seniors, military and AAA.

Members of the National Museum of the Great Lakes/Great Lakes Historical Society are admitted free of charge. People who join the museum prior to the show will get to attend a Members’ Only Private Deck Tour and Reception on the Niagara on Friday, Aug. 22 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Call 419-214-5000 or e-email [e-mail] for more information, or to join.





Lookback #275 – City of Green Bay destroyed by a fire on August 19, 1909

8/19 - It was 105 years ago that fire broke out aboard the wooden steamer City of Green Bay. The believed cause was an exploding lantern some time after the vessel had departed Saginaw, Mich.

The 140-foot-ship began life as a passenger and freight carrier, but in its twilight years had been rebuilt as a steam barge for carrying lumber and pickets.

The location of the fire on Saginaw Bay has been variously reported as off White Sandstone Point as well as off Whistler's Point. But what is certain is that the City of Green Bay was a total loss in the blaze of Aug. 19, 1909. Thankfully, all on board were picked up the City of New Baltimore and taken to safety.

Originally the M.C. Howley, the burnt vessel dated from 1880. It became City of Green Bay in 1887 and had operated on a variety of routes.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - August 19

On this day in 1865, the PEWABIC, Captain George P. McKay, was down bound on Lake Huron when she was rammed by her sister ship, METEOR. The PEWABIC sank with an estimated loss of 125 lives and a cargo of copper ingots, ore and hides valued at $500,000.

On 19 August 1902, OMAR D. CONGER (wooden propeller ferry, 92 foot, 200 gross tons, built in 1887, at Port Huron, Michigan) burned at Port Huron, Michigan. The entire upper works burned and the lower deck was also badly burned. She had burned on 20 June 1901, and had been rebuilt over the winter. She was again rebuilt and lasted until 1922.

The ROBERT S. PIERSON (i) was sold to P & H. Shipping Ltd. on August 19, 1982, and renamed e) SPRUCEGLEN.

The package freighter ARIZONA was launched on August 19, 1868, at Cleveland, Ohio by Quayle & Martin for E.T. & J.C. Evans of Buffalo, New York.

The CARDINAL, a.) WINDSOLITE, was towed to the Strathearne Terminal in Hamilton, Ontario on August 19, 1974, for scrapping.

On 19 August 1909, CITY OF GREEN BAY (wooden propeller passenger/package freight, 134 foot, 257 gross tons, built in 1880, at Fort Howard, Wisconsin as the sidewheeler M C HAWLEY) caught fire while crossing Saginaw Bay, burned to the waterline and sank. This wasn't her first experience with this type of accident since on 17 November 1887, she had burned to a "total loss" in Lake Michigan.

August 19, 1930 - The ANN ARBOR NO 7 towed the disabled tug FRED C GREILING from Frankfort, Michigan to Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co.

The propeller QUEBEC was launched at the Chisholm & Simpson yard at Chatham, Ontario on 19 August 1874. She was built for the Beatty Line and designed to run between Sarnia and Duluth.

1906 – GOVERNOR SMITH, a wooden package freight carrier, sank in Lake Huron, about 8 miles off Pointe aux Barques, after a collision with the URANUS. All 20 on board were rescued.

1915 – The wooden passenger and freight carrier HENRY PEDWELL burned at Wiarton, ON but was salvaged and rebuilt at Owen Sound in 1916.

1960 – BELLE ISLE II caught fire and sank after a collision with the HOLMSIDE on Lac St. Pierre in the St. Lawrence near Trois Rivieres. The ship had originally been the “Castle Class” corvette H.M.S. WOLVESEY CASTLE and later H.M.C.S. HUNTSVILLE for the Canadian Navy. It was rebuilt for cargo service as c) WELLINGTON KENT in 1947 becoming d) BELLE ISLE II in 1951. The hull was salvaged and towed up the Seaway to Portsmouth, ON on November 2, 1960, and broken up at Whitby, ON during the winter of 1965-1966. HOLMSIDE was later a casualty as b) CABINDA after hitting a jetty while inbound at Casablanca on December 28, 1980, with the loss of 9 lives.

1966 – JOHN E.F. MISENER went aground on Hard Island in the St. Lawrence and had to be lightered before being released on August 21.

1967 – The retired Paterson steamer SASKADOC, which last operated in 1966, was downbound at the Iroquois Lock under tow of GRAEME STEWART and SALVAGE MONARCH enroute to the scrapyard. It arrived at Santander, Spain, on September 24, 1967, along with the AUGUSTUS B. WOLVIN, behind the Polish tug JANTAR.

1988 – The Greek owned, Cypriot flag, freighter BLUESTONE arrived at Halifax to load flour, but the crew reported “hull cracks” and the Coast Guard said repairs must be made. The vessel first visited the Great Lakes as a) ASIA SWALLOW in 1980 and returned as b) BLUESTONE for the first time in 1985. The work was carried out. The ship finally cleared September 13 and operated until arriving at Chittagong, Bangladesh, for scrapping as e) VRITA N. about August 31, 1998.

[Avenger]

That interview above reminded me the DM&IR railroad used to have some massive steam power:

www.railarchive.net/randomsteam/dmir235.htm

Supposedly they needed all that engine, not to pull loaded hoppers to the docks, but to pull the empties back up the hill. That's a lot of empties.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Yer a buger head!! I had to spend the last two hours looking through the archives and reading all the factoids. I forgot where I was headed with this but thanks for the link... Us guys can read that stuff all day long, ya know??? ws

www.steamlocomotive.com/yellowstone/

[Avenger]

Sadly I know all too well. Glad you enjoyed it.

[yachtsmanwilly]

added a link about the Yellowstone Class. Deep down in the link you sent, I found calculations for figgerin' boiler pressures, grating areas, piston diameters, wheel diameters and the big finale, tractive effort. The slide rule generation really understood what it took to pull 4000 tons up a 1.15 % grade. Kids today are "playing trains" at work as all the real work was done 100 years ago... ws

[yachtsmanwilly]

Round Island lighthouse near Mackinac Island is on the market

8/20 - Mackinac Island, Mich. – A familiar landmark for visitors heading to Mackinac Island is for sale. The current bid for Round Island Passage Lighthouse near the resort island is $20,000, according to gsaauctions.gov.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Island_Passage_Light

The U.S. General Services Administration auction is open only to not-for-profit organizations that must register to bid. Tours will be available for those groups that are registered, the website said. Bids will increase by increments of $500; the sale began on Monday at 9 a.m. with an opening bid of $10,000.

Once purchased, the lighthouse could be converted to a commercial bed and breakfast or a home, or to any other feasible use, said administration spokeswoman Cat Langel.

The steel plate building with a 71-foot tower on a concrete base is on state-owned Great Lakes Public Trust bottomland that isn’t being sold. The lighthouse opened in 1948 to mark a passage between Mackinac Island and Round Island in Lake Huron.

The lighthouse is owned by the Coast Guard and has a modern automated beacon, a red flashing light that’s visible for 11 miles in clear weather, a RACON radar beacon and an automated fog signal, all of which operate on solar-charged batteries, according to the National Park Service. The white and red lighthouse, built on a crib and pier foundation in 26 feet of water, looks almost precisely how it did originally.

The automated light on the passage lighthouse replaced the Round Island Lighthouse, also a familiar site for Mackinac Island visitors. The Round Island Lighthouse still stands but was decommissioned by the Coast Guard.

“GSA is working with federal agencies to dispose of unneeded properties and make more efficient use of the government’s real estate assets. This includes historic lighthouses such as the Round Island Passage,” Langel said.

The GSA has sold or transferred 213 facilities across the country, generating $97.7 million.

After the U.S. Coast Guard reports that a historic lighthouse is no longer critical to its mission, the administration tries to drum up interest from federal, state and local government agencies and certified nonprofit organizations. If no qualified applications are received, the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act authorizes GSA to sell the property through a public auction, according to Langel.

Previous GSA light station sales have ranged from $10,000 to more than $933,000, based on numerous factors, such as location, condition of the property and fluctuations in the real estate market.

The Coast Guard will continue to operate and maintain the lighthouse, according to the Invitation for Bids.

The sale will have little impact on visitors and the businesses that rely on them.

“We spoke with several sources on the island, including the State Parks Director and don’t see this affecting tourism at all, as they have been auctioning off lighthouses for years,” said Mackinac Island tourism assistant director Alison Silk.

Yet lighthouses remain a poignant part of Michigan’s maritime past.

“Within the history of the Great Lakes, lighthouses have been an important tool for navigators. Anywhere they were traveling, they got them there safely. With the advent of [radio navigation] and then GPS, lighthouses have been increasingly less important,” said Joel Stone, senior curator for the Detroit Historical Society.

“GPS is now so efficient, it’ll put you within 10 feet. Especially the commercial vessels don’t need lighthouses.”

Facts about the beacon
According to the Great Lake Lighthouse Keepers Association, the 120-foot tall Round Island Passage Lighthouse was one of the last large lighthouses built on the Great Lakes. Here’s some interesting information for prospective buyers.
■ It started operating on April 15, 1948 as a replacement for the nearby Round Island Lighthouse. The old Round Island Lighthouse was built in 1894 and nearly collapsed in 1972. The Round Island Preservation Society maintains it.
■ The 8-sided lighthouse was designed as a fully automated station. The light was powered by a cable from Mackinac Island, but is solar powered now.
■ The light and foghorn in the structure will remain as aids to navigation, and the Coast Guard will retain access.
■ The two lighthouses may be viewed from a Shepler’s ferry cruise.

Detroit Free Press





Isle Royale vessel Ranger III used for testing prototype of system to cleanse ballast tanks

8/20 - Houghton, Michigan - Technicians have used a vessel that hauls passengers to Isle Royale National Park for testing a refined treatment method to rid ships' ballast water of invasive species.

Isle Royale Superintendent Phyllis Green says a marine engineering firm used the M/V Ranger III last weekend to try out prototype equipment for mixing chemicals that can kill organisms in ballast tanks. The equipment shortens the time needed to treat a ship.

Ballast water is a leading pathway for aquatic invaders to reach the Great Lakes. Oceangoing ships scoop up water with living organisms in foreign ports and release them into the lakes when taking on cargo.

Companies are trying to develop systems for sterilizing ballast water. The Ranger is equipped with an ultraviolet light and filtration system for the purpose.

Associated Press





Chief engineer’s book dives into fish tug history

8/20 - Port Dover, Ont. – Shaun Vary is immersed in the Great Lakes. Seven generations of his family dating back to the mid-1800s have worked on the water, mainly as commercial fishermen.

As a child growing up in Port Stanley, Ont., Vary wanted to play with fish tugs like the ones his family worked on while other kids in other towns were picking up toy cars or trucks.

But because there weren’t any, he built his own using discarded cigarette packages.

In adulthood, he continued to build boat models on a grander, detailed scale (five of his are in the Port Dover Harbour Museum, including one of the doomed passenger steamship Atlantic) and collected photos of the boats that ply the waters of Lake Erie’s north shore.

That collection has now formed the basis of a book that was launched at the Harbour Museum on Saturday.

“The Vessels of Erieau, Shipbuilding & Drydock” details the history of the shipyard in that lakeside village at the far west end of the lake from the 1930s to the 1970s.

The site is now a marina, but the boats that were born there still sail across the lakes and into ports. Unlike ocean-going vessels that are eaten away by saltwater, freshwater boats can be rebuilt and will last forever.

It may sound kind of odd to publish a dry inventory of boats (fish tugs, working tugs and small ferries) but for people who live along the lakeshore, this is important, Vary, 44, explained.

It’s part of the culture of living on the lake to make note of the vessels you see all the time and to know their names the same way you know the names of most of the people in your community. What the St. Catharines resident is doing is providing the background history to those familiar boats: when they were built and where and how they were used.

“My hobby is keeping track of fish tugs. I have boxes of files. I decided to do this as my way of sharing some of my information,” explained Vary, who works as a chief engineer on the Saginaw, a freighter hauling cargo around the Great Lakes.

Port Dover residents will be familiar with some of the Erieau-built ships. Some of them have passed through Port Dover or called Port Dover home.

“The book is very accurate, well-written document about vessels that relate back here to Port Dover,” said museum curator Angela Wallace. “Anything to do with shipbuilding along Lake Erie, we want to promote.”

“The Vessels of Erieau, Shipbuilding & Drydock,” by Shaun R. Vary, is available at the Port Dover Harbour Museum.

Simcoe Reformer





Lookback #276 – Texaco Warrior settled on the bottom of the Welland Canal on August 20, 1964

8/20 - The first Texaco Warrior ran into trouble while transiting the Welland Canal 50 years ago today. The vessel hit bottom in the Thorold South region near Bridge 10, punctured a tank, and settled on the bottom.

Fortunately, there was no pollution from the accident of Aug. 20, 1964, and the ship was soon pumped out and repaired.

Fourteen years earlier, on Oct. 29, 1950, this ship rammed the entrance to the Toronto ship channel and severely crumpled the bow. The 258-foot-long tanker was inbound through dense fog and turned to soon hitting the concrete wall. Repairs at Port Weller Dry Docks cost in the range of $60,000.

This liquid cargo carrier was launched at Haverton Hill-on-Tees, England, on May 14, 1930. It came to Canada for the McColl-Frontenac Oil Co. as Cyclo-Warrior and was often used to carry crude oil between Chicago and Toronto.

After a sale to the Texaco Oil Co., the vessel was renamed Texaco Warrior on Oct. 7, 1947. It remained in their service until being resold to the Hall Corporation of Canada on Dec. 1, 1969.

Renamed as their second Lake Transport, the ship operated into the summer of 1974 before laying up at Sorel, QC. It was scrapped there by Union Pipe & Machinery beginning in July 1978.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - August 20

On 20 August 1881, MICHIGAN (Hull#48), (iron propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 215 foot, 1,183 tons) was launched by the Detroit Dry Dock Company at Wyandotte, Michigan for the Goodrich Transportation Company. She was then taken to Milwaukee for fitting out and completion. She cost $159,212. She was designed by Frank E. Kirby especially for cross-lake winter service.

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORT arrived at Toronto, Ontario, August 20, 1969, on her maiden voyage, with fuel oil.

R. BRUCE ANGUS in tandem tow with the ULS steamer GORDON C. LEITCH (i) behind the tug IRVING CEDAR arrived at Setœbal, Portugal August 20, 1985, where they were broken up. The a.) IRVING CEDAR is now Purvis Marine's c.) RELIANCE. August 20, 1920 the WILLIS L. KING, upbound light in Whitefish Bay, was in collision with and sank the down bound Steel Trust steamer SUPERIOR CITY. The SUPERIOR CITY was struck nearly amidships and when the cold water reached her engine room, her boilers exploded. She sank immediately with 29 of her 33 crew members aboard.

The US266029, a.) WILLIAM CLAY FORD departed her lay-up berth at the Rouge slip on August 20, 1986, in tow of Gaelic tugs and she was taken to Detroit Marine Terminals on the Rouge River, where her pilothouse was removed to be displayed at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Detroit's Belle Isle.

On 20 August 1899, the HUNTER SAVIDGE (2-mast, wooden schooner, 117 foot, 152 gross tons, built in 1879, at Grand Haven, Michigan) capsized in a squall or tornado in Lake Huron. 5 survivors, including Capt. Fred Sharpstein, were rescued from the overturned schooner by the steamer ALEX MC VITTIE. However, 5 lost their lives, including the captain's wife and their son, the ship's owner's wife and daughter, and the Mate. Capt. Sharpstein patrolled the beaches looking for the bodies of his wife and son for months but they were never found. The wreck was found in 1987, near Grindstone City, Michigan.

On 20 August 1852, ATLANTIC (wooden sidewheeler, 267 foot, 1,155 tons, built in 1849, at Detroit, Michigan) was loaded with immigrants when she collided with the propeller freighter OGDENSBURG and quickly sank south of Long Point on Lake Erie at about 2:30 a.m. Of the 600 on board, estimates of death range from 150 to 250. Numerous salvage attempts have been made through the years up through 1989, since there were supposed to be valuables on board when she went down.

1874 – The CITY OF LONDON, built by Louis Shickluna at St. Catharines in 1865, was destroyed by a fire at Collins Inlet. The engine was later removed for installation in the CITY OF OWEN SOUND.

1900 – CAPTAIN THOMAS WILSON was launched at Port Huron for the Wilson Transit Co.

1903 – QUEEN OF THE WEST sank in a Lake Erie storm off Fairport, Ohio but the crew was rescued by the CODORUS. One sailor perished in the transfer between the two ships.

1919 – MOHEGAN was built as a wooden steam barge at Marine City in 1894. It left the lakes for ocean service in 1917. The ship was anchored at Rio de Janiero, Brazil, on this date in 1919 when an explosion and fire destroyed the vessel. All on board survived.

1964 – TEXACO WARRIOR hit bottom and settled in the Welland Canal with a punctured tank at Thorold South near Bridge 10. The ship was refloated and resumed service. It was scrapped at Sorel, QC, in 1978 as LAKE TRANSPORT (i).

1969 – PETER ROBERTSON, sold for scrap and anchored in western Lake Ontario, dragged her anchors in a storm and landed on the beach near Jordan Harbour, Ontario. The vessel was released August 24 and headed down the Seaway August 27 between the tugs SALVAGE MONARCH and HELEN M. McALLISTER on the next leg of the journey to Spain for scrapping.

1972 – VILLE DE QUEBEC was a pre-Seaway trader to the Great Lakes from 1955 to 1958 and returned inland, for three trips, in 1959. The ship sank off the coast of Albania, due to heavy weather, on this date as c) SUZY in 1972. It was enroute from Durres, Albania, to Patras, Greece. Eleven members of the crew were lost while only 7 survived.

1975 – The coastal freighter AIGLE D'OCEAN struck an iceberg off Port Burwell, Labrador, and sank. Only five crew were rescued. The ship had been inland on several occasions.

1977 – CAPO MELE first came through the Seaway as a) PIERRE L.D. in 1959 and again, for 3 trips, in 1960. It was sold and renamed b) CAPO MELE in 1961 and made 22 voyages to the Great Lakes from then through 1967. The ship sustained heavy damage from an engine room fire as e) PAULINA at Banjul, Gambia, and was sold for scrap. The vessel arrived at Santander, Spain, on October 17, 1977, for dismantling.