Today in Great Lakes History

[yachtsmanwilly]

Seaway Strike Averted

11/3 - A strike by 460 St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. workers has been averted, said the union representing the employees Sunday night.

A release from Unifor — representing Locals 4212 and 4211 in Niagara and Cornwall, Locals 4319 and 4320 in Montreal and Local 4323 in Iroquois — said it and the seaway, during negotiations in Cornwall, agreed to send outstanding issues to binding arbitration.

“We have been meeting night and day the past week to reach a deal, and came to the conclusion that arbitration was the best way to resolve remaining issues,” Unifor national representative Joel Fournier said in the release.

Details of the issues sent to arbitration and the complete contract will be revealed with the decision of the arbitrator. Both sides expect to meet with the arbitrator as soon as possible to resolve the matter. One of the main issues between the union and seaway is a plan to automate the locks, eliminating staff currently working on them.

This agreement also suspends the right to strike or lockout, ensuring that shippers will continue to benefit from uninterrupted navigation until March 31, 2018. The seaway is currently in the process of implementing a modernization program which incorporates hands-free mooring and remote lock operation.

The union raised safety concerns over the automation of the locks. Unifor had set a strike for Friday, Oct. 31 at 12:15pm, but extended it until 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3 while negotiations were continuing. If the workers had gone on strike, the seaway said it had a plan to safely shut down the system to all ship traffic.

Erie Media





CSL Welland departs China; CSL St-Laurent on sea trials

11/3 - CSL Welland, one of two new Trillium Class bulk carriers built in China at the Yangfan Shipyard, recently departed on its maiden voyage to North. Their first scheduled stop will be Nov. 5 in the port of Davao in the Philippines, where they will take on fuel before they continue across the Pacific Ocean, eventually arriving at the Panama Canal. The total length of time for the voyage from China to Canada is expected to take 50-60 days to complete.

CSL St-Laurent, the second new Trillium Class bulk carrier built for Canada Steamship Lines, also departed the Yangfan Shipyard recently for sea trials.

These two new Trillium Class bulk carriers are expected to join the Canada Steamship Lines fleet at the end of 2014. They will join four new Trillium-class self-unloading vessels already delivered, beginning in 2012 with the Baie St. Paul. Three more self-unloaders were added in 2013 with the Whitefish Bay, Thunder Bay and Baie Comeau all joining the CSL fleet respectively.

Denny Dushane





Port Reports - November 3

Stoneport, Calcite, Mich. – Jake H
At Stoneport, Philip R. Clarke came in Saturday after anchoring in Thunder Bay the previous day due to rough weather. After the Clarke departed, her fleetmate Cason J Callaway took her place. At Calcite, John G Munson loaded at the north dock. After the Munson departed, Michipicoten took her place at the north dock.

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
Cuyahoga was in port on Sunday.





Lookback #351 – J.A. Cornett went hard aground off Rock Island on Nov. 3, 1953

The tug J.A. Cornett was noted as “the most advanced tug on Canada's inland waters" when it was constructed by the Canadian Dredge & Dock Co. at Kingston, ON in 1937. The 65-foot-long by 17-foot-wide vessel was powered by a 300 horsepower Fairbanks Morse diesel engine and registered at 60 gross tons.

J.A. Cornett arrived at Toronto on her maiden voyage on May 31, 1937, and then left for the Canadian Lakehead with a tow for use in a construction project for Canadian Dredge & Dock Ltd.

The ship was working on the St. Lawrence 61 years ago today when it hit the rocks at the northern end of Rock Island. This is about 7 miles north of Clayton, N.Y. and the accident occurred on Nov. 3, 1953. The hull plates were buckled and the ship was leaking. I am not sure when J.A. Cornett was finally refloated but it was released and repaired for a return to service.

It was soon helping in the massive construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and worked with a variety of dredges below Cornwall, Ont., including the Monarch, Midland and Sydenham as the waterway was transformed to accommodate the larger ships of the world. Once the Seaway opened in 1959, it was not long before the J.A. Cornett was tied up at Kingston and it has not operated since.

It was sold to Harry Gamble in 1985 and left Kingston, under tow, on Sept. 14, 1985, and arrived at Port Dover a few days later. I believe it is still there tied up in the inner harbor.

Skip Gillam





Today in Great Lakes History - November 3

On 02 November 1924, TURRET CROWN (steel propeller "turret ship,” 253 foot, 1,827 tons, built in 1895, in England) was driven ashore in a gale on Meldrum Point on the north side of Manitoulin Island on Lake Huron. Her hull was wrecked during the storms that winter. She was cut up and removed for scrap the following year.

On November 2, 1984, the tugs ATOMIC and ELMORE M. MISNER towed the ERINDALE, a.) W.F. WHITE, to the International Marine Salvage scrap dock at Port Colborne, Ontario, where demolition began that month.

H.C. HEIMBECKER proceeded under her own power to Ashtabula, Ohio, for scrapping, arriving there November 2, 1981.

On November 2, 1948, FRANK ARMSTRONG collided head-on with the c.) JOHN J. BOLAND of 1905, a.) STEPHEN B. CLEMENT, in a heavy fog on Lake Erie near Colchester, Ontario. Both vessels were badly damaged and resulted in one fatality on the BOLAND. The ARMSTRONG was towed to Toledo, Ohio, for repairs.

In 1972, the A. E. NETTLETON's towline parted from the OLIVE L. MOORE during a snowstorm with gale force winds 17 miles west of the Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior. The barge developed a 15-degree list when her load of grain shifted. Three of her five-member crew were air lifted by a U.S.C.G. helicopter to the MOORE to assist in re-rigging the towline. The NETTLETON was towed the next day into the Lily Pond on the Keweenaw Waterway to trim her cargo.

The WILLIAM C. MORELAND was abandoned to the underwriters on November 2, 1910, as a constructive total loss, amounting to $445,000. She had stranded on Sawtooth Reef off Eagle Harbor, Michigan, on Lake Superior in mid October.

The keel of the new section, identified as Hull #28, was laid down on November 2, 1959. A new forward pilothouse and a hatch crane were installed and her steam turbine engine and water tube boilers were reconditioned. The vessel was named c.) RED WING after the Detroit Red Wing hockey team, honoring a long association with Upper Lakes Shipping and James Norris, the founder of ULS, and his two sons, James D. and Bruce, owners of the National Hockey League team.

In 1971, the Lake Michigan carferry BADGER was laid up due to a coal strike.

On 2 November 1889, FRANCIS PALMS (wooden schooner, 173 foot, 560 tons, built in 1868, at Marine City, Michigan, as a bark) was sailing from Escanaba to Detroit with a load of iron ore when she was driven ashore near Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. Her entire crew was taken off by the tug GLADIATOR that also pulled in vain while trying to free the PALMS. The PALMS was pounded to pieces by the storm waves. November was a bad month for the PALMS since she had previously been wrecked on Long Point in Lake Erie in November 1874, and again at Duluth in November 1872.

During the first week of November 1878, The Port Huron Times reported wrecks and mishaps that occurred during a severe storm that swept over the Lakes on Friday and Saturday, 1-3 November. The information was reported on 2, 4 & 5 November as the reports came in. The same reports will appear here starting today: The Port Huron Times of 2 November 1878: "The schooner L. C. WOODRUFF of Cleveland is ashore at the mouth of the White River with her foremast gone. She is loaded with corn. Three schooners went ashore at Grand Haven Friday morning, the AMERICA, MONTPELIER, and AUSTRALIAN. One man was drowned off the AUSTRALIAN. The schooner WORTS is ashore and full of water on Beaver Island. Her cargo consists of pork for Collingwood. The tug LEVIATHAN has gone to her aid. The schooner LAKE FOREST is ashore at Hammond's Bay, Lake Huron, and is full of water. She has a cargo of corn aboard. The tug A J SMITH has gone to her rescue. The barge S. C. WOODRUFF has gone down in 13 feet of water off Whitehall and her crew is clinging to the rigging at last accounts. A lifeboat has been sent to her relief. The barge RUTTER is in 25 feet of water and all the crew are now safe."

On 2 November 1874, PREBLE (2-mast wooden schooner, 98 foot, 166 tons, built in 1842, at Buffalo, New York as a brig) was lost in a storm off Long Point on Lake Erie and broke up in the waves. The steamer ST PAUL rescued her crew.

On 02 Nov 1862, BAY STATE (wooden propeller, 137 foot, 372 tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo, New York) was bound for Lake Erie ports from Oswego, New York when she broke up offshore in a terrific gale in the vicinity of Oswego. All 22 onboard, including six passengers, lost their lives. The shoreline was strewn with her wreckage for miles.

PAUL H. CARNAHAN was christened at the foot of West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan on 02 Nov 1961. She had been converted from the tanker b.) ATLANTIC DEALER to a dry bulk cargo carrier by American Ship Building Co. at Lorain, Ohio and came out on her maiden bulk freighter voyage just two weeks before this christening ceremony.

1912: JUNO, which had lost the barge P.B. LOCKE the previous day on Lake Ontario, arrived safely at Cobourg and then sank at the dock.

1923: The wooden steamer WESEE caught fire in Lake Erie off Middle Bass Island and burned as a total loss. The crew took to the yawl boats and all were saved.

1956: The former schooner J.T. WING, which had operated as a museum at Belle Isle in Detroit until condemned due to rotting timbers, was burned.

1981: FROSSO K., an SD 14 ocean freighter, suffered an engine room fire enroute from Vancouver to Japan. The ship was towed back to Vancouver November 15 and repaired. It first came through the Seaway in 1974 and arrived at Cartagena, Columbia, under tow, for scrapping on February 15, 1995, as e) MAMER.

1981: The West German freighter POSEIDON first came through the Seaway in 1962 and became a regular inland trader. It was abandoned, in leaking condition on this date, as e) VIKI K. in the Red Sea. There was some suspicion that the vessel was scuttled as part of an insurance fraud.

1988: PETER MISENER struck a shoal while upbound in the Saguenay River for Port Alfred with coke. There was major damage and the ship went to Montreal for repairs.

2001: AUDACIOUS stranded at Keleman Island, Indonesia, but was refloated two days later. The damage was severe and the vessel was laid up at Singapore and then sold to shipbreakers. The ship arrived at Alang, India, to be broken up, on April 27, 2002. The ship visited the Great Lakes as a) WELSH VOYAGER in 1977, and returned as b) LONDON VOYAGER in 1982 and c) OLYMPIC LEADER in 1983. It made its first inland voyage as d) AUDACIOUS in 1996 and its final call in 2000.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.






Boats start moving as gales subside

11/2 - Lake Michigan waves neared record territory Friday as gale-force winds churned the waters into massive breakers on shorelines across the state.

A weather buoy located in the middle of the lake west of Holland, recorded a 21.7-foot wave height Friday afternoon. That mark ties for the second tallest height ever recorded for that buoy, according to the National Weather Service in Chicago.

It, too, measured a wind speed of 59 mph, just below its all-time highest speed at 62 mph set on Nov. 10, 1998.

Although Michigan's Upper Peninsula saw accumulating snowfall during much of the day, and a few flakes piled up elsewhere, winds have been the greatest nuisance across the Great Lakes region.

The highest wave recorded by the south buoy: 23 feet. It came in September 2011. The buoy has been measuring waves since 1981.

MLive





Left Behind #7 – Photinia – by Skip Gillham

The British bulk carrier Photinia had been a frequent caller around the Great Lakes. It first came inland through the Seaway in 1966 with three trips and was back on three more occasions in 1967.

The 480-foot-long freighter had been built at North Shields, England, and completed for the Stag Line in March 1961. It was registered at 7676 gross tons and equipped with six cargo holds and six hatches.

Initially, Photinia was converted to a cable-laying vessel and saw service across Cook's Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It saw similar cable laying work at Trinidad and Tobago and returned to New Zealand for later service.

It was between demands for cable work that Photinia began Great Lakes trading. When the work was completed in 1977, the ship was reconverted to a bulk carrier.

Photinia went aground, in rough seas, off Milwaukee on May 12, 1978. All on board were rescued but the ship was declared a total loss on May 15 with an estimated $2.8 million in damage.

Six tugs were able to haul Photinia off its perch on July 7, 1978, and the hull was towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wis., for evaluation. The news was not good. Thus the machinery was removed and sold at auction.

Photinia was towed to Chicago in Dec. 1978 and suffered a fire in the superstructure there in September 1979. Another tow brought the ship to Kewaunee, Wis., in Nov. 1979 and scrapping got underway at that location in Jan. 1981.

The PHOTINIA was being broken up with my dad as the foreman and the LAUREN CASTLE standing by when orders came down that the LC would get a tow across to Traverse Bay for the ill fated AMOCO WISCONSIN tow on Nov. 4th 1980

[yachtsmanwilly]

Today in Great Lakes History - November 4

The Great Lakes Steamship Company steamer NORWAY passed downbound through the Soo Locks with 6,609 tons of rye. This cargo increased the total tonnage transiting the locks in 1953 to 120,206,088 tons – a new one-season tonnage record. Renamed b.) RUTH HINDMAN in 1964, she was scrapped at Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1978.

On 04 November 1883, MAYFLOWER (wooden propeller freighter “steam barge,” 185 foot, 623 gross tons, built in 1852, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying lumber when she stranded in a gale off Point Abino near Buffalo, New York where the waves pounded her to pieces. The crew made it to shore in the yawl. She was built as a very fine passenger steamer for the Western Transportation Line then in 1868, she was rebuilt as a “steam barge.”

On 4 November 1875, SWAN (wooden propeller tug, 11 gross tons, built in 1862, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire while lying out in the Saginaw River near East Saginaw. She was abandoned by the crew and burned to the water’s edge.

JOSEPH G. BUTLER JR (steel bulk freighter, 525 foot, 6,588 gross tons) was launched on 04 Nov 1905, at Lorain, Ohio for the Tonopah Steamship Co. (Hutchinson & Co., mgr.). She lasted until 1971, when she was stripped of her cabins and scuttled, along with HENRY R. PLATT JR., at Steel Co. of Canada plant, Burlington Bay, Hamilton, Ontario, as breakwater and fill.

CARTIERCLIFFE HALL was registered at Toronto, Ontario, on 04 Nov 1977, but didn't enter service until the spring of 1978 because of mechanical difficulties during her sea trials.

On 04 Nov, 1986, TEXACO CHIEF was renamed A.G. FARQUHARSON. She was renamed c.) ALGONOVA (i) in 1998.

CALCITE II departed Cleveland at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, 04 Nov 2000, on her last trip for USS Great Lakes Fleet. She sailed upbound for Sarnia, Ontario, where she spent the winter in lay-up. Grand River Transportation had entered into a sale agreement with USS Great Lakes Fleet, Inc. for the purchase of the CALCITE II, GEORGE A. SLOAN and MYRON C. TAYLOR. Built as the WILLIAM G. CLYDE in 1929, CALCITE II is awaiting scrapping as c.) MAUMEE.

HERON BAY proceeded under her own power to Lauzon, Quebec, for her final lay-up on November 4, 1978.

CSL's NIPIGON BAY was launched November 4, 1950.

CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON developed a sizable leak and almost sank November 4, 1925, during her tow to Superior after she struck a reef a few nights before.

ROBERT C. STANLEY's keel was laid November 4, 1942.

UNITED STATES GYPSUM of 1910 grounded at Toledo, Ohio, on November 4, 1972, resulting in damage totaling $125,000. Her propeller was removed and the rudder shaft was locked in position to finish the season as a manned barge on the coal run from Toledo to Detroit, Michigan.

JOSEPH H. THOMPSON became not only the largest vessel on the Great Lakes but also the longest dry bulk cargo vessel in the world when it entered service on November 4, 1952, departing Chicago on its first trip.

Setting the stage for the fateful storm that followed less than a week later that sank the EDMUND FITZGERALD, many locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin were setting all-time record high temperatures for the month of November during the period of November 4-6, 1975. Grand Marais, Minnesota, reached 67 degrees on November 5 and Superior reached 74 degrees on November 6, both all-time records for the month. Many other notable Great Lakes storms, including the Armistice Day storm of 1940, and the storm that sank the HENRY STEINBRENNER in 1953, were proceeded by record-setting warm weather.

On 4 November 1877, MARY BOOTH (wooden scow-schooner, 132 tons, built in 1857, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying maple lumber in a storm in Lake Michigan. She became waterlogged but her crew doggedly clung to her until she appeared ready to turn turtle. Then her crew abandoned her and she rolled over. She drifted in the lake for several days. The crew landed at White Lake, Michigan and they were near death.

The Port Huron Times of 4 November 1878: "The propeller CITY OF MONTREAL is believed to have gone down on Lake Michigan on Friday [1 NOV 1878]. The schooner LIVELY, laden with coal for Bay City, is reported ashore 6 miles above Sand Beach, having gone on at 12 o'clock Sunday night [3 NOV 1878]. The schooner WOODRUFF, ashore at Whitehall, is a total loss. Two men were drowned, one died from injuries received, and Capt. Lingham was saved. The tugs E M PECK and MYSTIC, which went from the Sault to the assistance of the propeller QUEBEC, were wrecked near where she lies, one being on the beach and the other sunk below her decks. Both crews were rescued and were taken to St. Joseph Island."

On 4 November 1856, J W BROOKS (wooden propeller, 136 foot, 322 tons, built in 1851, at Detroit) was carrying provisions and copper ingots to Ogdensburg, New York in a storm when she foundered on Lake Ontario, 8 miles northeast of False Ducks Light. Estimates of the loss of lives range from 22 to 50. In July 1857, she was partially raised and some of her cargo was recovered. She only had a five year career, but besides this final incident, she had her share of disasters. In July 1855, she had a boiler explosion and in May of that same year, she sank in Canadian waters.

In 1980 the tug LAUREN CASTLE sank while towing the AMOCO WISCONSIN near Lee Point in Traverse Bay. Engineer William Stephan was lost.



1891: The iron freighter NORTH, which had become the first ocean ship to be cut in two and brought to the Great Lakes, arrived at Collingwood to be rebuilt as b) CAMPANA for the passenger & freight trades on the upper lakes.

1898: The wooden passenger and freight steamer PACIFIC burned at the Grand Trunk Railway dock in Collingwood along with the freight sheds and their contents. The blaze had begun the previous evening and roared for hours. The vessel was valued at $65,000.

1959: WESTRIVER arrived at Halifax for repairs after an earlier engine room explosion on Lake Superior had left the ship with significant damage.

1967: PEARL LIGHT, a World War II Empire ship, came through the Seaway for one trip in 1965. It was wrecked off Vietnam as g) HABIB MARIKAR while enroute from Dalian, China, to Chittagong, Bangladesh, with bagged cement. One life was lost.

1972: INLAND TRANSPORT went aground off Garden Island Bank, near Little Current, Manitoulin Island, and received major hull damage that led to the retirement of that Halco tanker after one more trip.

1991: CARLI METZ struck the wall below Lock 2 of the Welland Canal and the vessel had to go to Port Weller Dry Docks for repairs. It had been inbound for the first time earlier in the year and returned in 1992. It was scrapped at Chittagong, Bangladesh, as d) METZ ITALIA in 2001.

1993: ZIEMIA ZAMOJSKA, while under tow, struck the raised 106th Street Bridge on the Calumet River at Chicago resulting in damage to the structure and traffic problems. The corn-laden vessel received a hole in the port bow, which was repaired at Montreal.

[Avenger]

Sad anniversary Bill. This year is the 20th anniversary of my dad's passing. So to borrow from Slick Willy, I feel your pain.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Thanks pal... its hard to believe its been 34 years already. Im now 1-1/2 years older than the old was; I feel everyone's pain! Carpe Diem ! ws

[rsmith]

Sorry Uncle Willy. What caused her to go down?

[yachtsmanwilly]

They were the lead tug (steering) in a two boat tow on a short, 100 foot wire. The 600' AMOCO WISCONSIN was dead in the water with no steerage. The AW suddenly veered to the right and spun the LC around backwards on its' port side, tripping the tug on its tow wire, rolling it over. It was a smooth starry night and all the watertight doors were open. She flooded and sank in about 15 seconds. Pops was never recovered and probably still inside IN SPITE of testimony to the contrary. ws



American Fortitude scrap rumors are confirmed

11/5 - The steamer American Fortitude has been removed from the American Steamship Co. fleet list on the company Web site, further confirmation of recent reports that the vessel has been sold.

In addition, an email circulated to the company’s other vessels last week informed crews that the 1953-built, 690-foot-long steamer had been sold to a Texas firm for scrapping. Laid up in Toledo since 2008, it is unknown when she will be towed off the lakes.

“We fully understand and appreciate the attachment that many likely have with the ship,” the email read. “We, too, hate to see it go, but must acknowledge the fact that the ship - idle since late in the 2008 season - had little if any chance of operating anytime in the near or longer-terms. The sale of the ship is no reflection on the vessel itself, which was properly maintained and proudly operated by its officers and crew over the course of its operating life.”

She was originally built for National Steel Co. as the Ernest T. Weir (II). Early in 1978, the Oglebay Norton's Columbia Transportation Div. acquired the vessel to replace the lost Edmund Fitzgerald. She operated through the 1978 season under her original christened name until December of that year when she was renamed Courtney Burton.

She became part of the American Steamship Co. fleet in 2006, when she received her current name.





Lake Michigan water levels continue rising, with increases into next year

11/5 - Holland, Mich. – Lake Michigan water levels continue to climb, topping the long-term average for the second month in a row while October rain levels were above average.

“That has been the catalyst for the rise,” Keith Kompoltowicz, chief hydrologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said about the impact of precipitation on the water levels.

Lake Michigan-Huron was at 579.20 feet above a sea level for October, up 1.74 feet from October 2013 and 0.36 foot over the long-term average of 578.84 feet, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The two lakes are treated as one because they are joined at the Straits of Mackinac.

September was the first month to be above the long-term average, the highest level for the lakes since 1998. Projections have levels above average through the next six months. Above-average rainfall in October helped increase the lake levels.

The Lake Michigan-Huron basin received 151 percent of its average rainfall for October, Kompoltowicz said, with 4.36 inches of rain estimated, well above the 2.89-inch average. The past seven months have been above average, he added.

Holland Sentinel





Seaway strike averted: Arbitrator to be called

11/5 - St. Catharines, Ont. – An agreement by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. and Unifor to refer issues to arbitration means navigation will continue uninterrupted until March 31, 2018.

That agreement, announced Sunday, suspends the right to strike or lockout affecting the Corporation's 460 unionized employees.

In a release, Terence Bowles, president and CEO of the corporation said he is "very pleased that we have reached this agreement, which enables navigation on the Seaway to continue without interruption”.

Collective agreements for unionized employees expired on March 31, 2014. The union represents employees in Niagara, other parts of Ontario and Quebec. Unifor said in a press release that its five locals agreed to send outstanding issues to binding arbitration.

"We have been meeting night and day the past week to reach a deal, and came to the conclusion that arbitration was the best way to resolve remaining issues," Unifor National Representative Joel Fournier said in the union's release.

Unifor originally set a strike deadline of 12:15 p.m. on Friday, but extended the deadline to Monday. Negotiations continued through the weekend.

It said details of the issues sent to arbitration and the complete contract will be revealed when the arbitrator makes a decision. It said both sides expect to meet with the arbitrator ASAP.

The main issue of contention was the corporation's new hands-free mooring system at its locks, which would eliminate the need for workers using tie up lines. The union has said the technology will eliminate jobs and create safety issues, while the corporation has said most, if not all jobs, would be absorbed through attrition and the hands-free system is safe.

It is currently being used at a lock in Beauharnois, Quebec and has been installed at Lock 3 in St. Catharines, though it is not operational there yet.

In a follow-up interview on Monday, Seaway spokesman Andrew Bogora would not be specific about key issues being referred to binding arbitration.

"In the interest of allowing the arbitration to continue without any undue noise surrounding it, we will elect to not make any comment on (the specific issues referred to arbitration)," Bogora said. "We will await the arbitrator's findings."

Bogora adds the Seaway is "encouraged by the agreement that was reached yesterday to refer … certain matters to binding arbitration. Anytime traffic continues uninterrupted, I think that's good news for all parties concerned."

Bogora adds the Seaway has not otherwise had any labor-related interruption in traffic since 1968. "We're pleased we can extend that record yet again," he said.

St. Catharines Standard





Port Reports - November 5

Stoneport, Mich. – Jake H
On Monday, the Joseph H Thompson Jr. with the barge Joseph H Thompson arrived and began loading. A few hours later, the Joyce L VanEnkevort and Great Lakes Trader dropped anchor to wait for the Thompsons to clear the dock.

Calcite, Mich. – Jake H
On Monday, the Adam E Cornelius arrived in port and called on the north dock. A few hours later, the John G Munson came in and called on the south dock.





More big waves for Great Lakes: Another windstorm brewing for Michigan

11/5 - Grand Rapids, Mich. – Another windstorm is on the way to Michigan for late this week. The coming storm looks very similar to last week's Halloween storm.

The storm center will cross Lake Michigan Thursday, and rapidly strengthen. A strengthening low-pressure system makes the winds pick up.

Again this will be a wind that is out of the north for most of Lake Michigan and then bend to the northwest at the southern end of Lake Michigan. This is very similar to last week, except last week's storm had somewhat of a northeast wind component on Lake Michigan. That wind direction brought some of the biggest waves to Chicago. This week's storm will bring the biggest waves to Michigan's southern shore of Lake Michigan, from New Buffalo to South Haven and Holland.

On the east side of Lower Michigan, the Saginaw Bay will once again have a northeast wind during the day Thursday, shoving a lot of water out of the bay and into the Saginaw River. Last week's storm had wind gusts to 45 mph. This storm may be about 5 mph lower on the wind speeds.

The winds will diminish about 10 mph Thursday night on Lake Michigan. The wind direction shows that the wind will still be blowing down the entire length of Lake Michigan, which really builds the waves. The wind on Saginaw Bay will still be strong, but turn to straight out of the north. That means the tip and eastern shore of the Thumb will get pounded with big waves.

This week's storm will be the second strong storm that acted like the Great Lakes had a magnet and pulled it right to the lakes. At the same time, both storms have rapidly strengthened. This says the atmosphere over Michigan is the favored area for storm strengthening. Computer models show perhaps two more storms like this in the next two weeks.

If this condition continues into December, we are going to have some very interesting weather in Michigan. At some point it will be cold enough for these strengthening storms to drop all snow, and a wind driven snow at that.

MLive





U.S. Steel lays off workers after idling coke ovens

11/5 - Hamilton, Ont. – U.S. Steel Canada is laying off at least 56 workers following its decision to idle its Hamilton coke ovens indefinitely. The company announced last week it would hot-idle its coke battery due to an industry glut of the steelmaking ingredient. The decision affects about 100 of the 600 workers remaining at the beleaguered Hamilton plant.

The Canadian arm of U.S. Steel is undergoing court-monitored restructuring under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. The company has indicated, in court documents, that it plans to sell its Hamilton and Nanticoke plants by next October.

The company issued 56 layoff notices Monday – and more could be on the horizon as sewage treatment operations linked to the coke ovens wind down, said Gary Howe, vice-president of United Steelworkers Local 1005.

"It's disappointing our workers in Hamilton are paying the price to allow plants in the States running at high capacity," said Howe, noting U.S. Steel Corp. recently reported its highest quarterly operating income results since 2008.

"Unfortunately, the local has become very good at dealing with layoffs over the past 25 years."

U.S. Steel Canada spokesperson Trevor Harris didn't directly respond to questions about the latest layoffs, but reiterated the company's statement about the need to "temporarily" idle the coke ovens due to market conditions.

His statement said about 100 workers will be affected by the move, but the company "will endeavour to reassign them where and when appropriate."

Howe said some of those 100 workers will stay on the job monitoring the hot-idled coke ovens, while others could be reassigned to ongoing operations like the cold mill or Z-line coating facility, depending on seniority and qualifications.

It's also possible an unspecified number of laid off workers could temporarily fill vacancies at the Lake Erie Works, he said, but it's unlikely that would account for more than 15 people.

The company statement said the battery will remain idled while the restructuring process continues, "and appropriate options, including the potential sale of the asset are considered."

Hamilton Councillor Scott Duvall expressed frustration at the news and suggested the company is "bound and determined to take the value out of the plant," despite the stated desire to sell.

"It's very sad news. … It seems like they've already made the decision to start shutting stuff down," said Duvall, who sits on the city's steel committee.

Hamilton Spectator





Coast Guard finds zombie floating in Lake Michigan

11/5 - Chicago Ill. – Chicago’s Coast Guard turned into zombie hunters over the weekend. High winds and waves on Lake Michigan caused Navy Pier’s Halloween barge to sink Friday, and the Coast Guard confirms that debris from the barge, including zombie mannequins, were pulled from the water.

Chief Petty Officer Alan Haraf tells WGN a boat crew from Station Wilmette Harbor came across one of the zombie mannequins from the sunken barge and removed it for two reasons: To return it to its owner and because it was considered a hazard to navigation.

After they pulled the zombie onto the boat, the crew did what they would normally do during their routine “man overboard” training drills that they do with a 120- pound mannequin, including CPR, which they did making light of this “rescue” situation.

While the Coast Guard has pulled a lot of strange things out of Lake Michigan, Haraf said the zombie has to be one of the strangest.

WGN





Lookback #353 – Idaho broke up in Lake Erie on Nov. 5, 1897

It was 117 years ago today, at about 0230 hours, that the wooden steamer Idaho cleared Buffalo for Milwaukee with $100,000 worth of freight.

Out on Lake Erie, Idaho encountered winds of 58 mph and 25-foot-high waves. The master could have sought shelter in the lee of Long Point but he decided to press on only to find that his ship was leaking.

Two pumps were activated but, when one quit, the other could not keep up. Those on board formed a bucket brigade but to no avail.

When the ship sought to return to the Long Point area, it got caught in the trough and lacked the power to pull out. This put great stress on the hull and when the anchors failed to hold, the Idaho drifted towards shore before sinking stern first.

The crew either abandoned ship or was swept overboard. Two somehow managed to climb the mast to the safety of the crow's nest and endured the foul mix of wind, cold, sleet and rain. They were spotted the next afternoon by the crew of the Mariposa and, with magnificent seamanship, the latter vessel managed to get close enough to rescue the two men on the third try.

The loss of 19 lives made this the worst tragedy on the Great Lakes in 1897. The body of the captain was found a year later at Port Maitland.

Idaho had been built at Cleveland in 1863 and sailed for the Western Transit Co. The 220-foot-long, 1,110-gross ton vessel operated as a subsidiary to the New York Central and Hudson Railroad.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - November 5

At 2 a.m. 05 November 1884, the steamer GRACE GRUMMOND (iron side-wheel excursion steamer, 138 foot, 250 tons, built in 1856, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the survey steamer JEFFERSON DAVIS, specifically for the survey of the Great Lakes) burned at Grand Haven, Michigan. Her cargo of apples, pears and potatoes was also destroyed. No lives were lost. After the fire she was towed to Chicago to lay up until it was decided what to do with her. It is not known if she ever operated as a steamer again, but in 1887, she was rebuilt as a schooner at Milwaukee. She was one of the only sizable iron-hulled schooners ever used on the lakes. In 1904, as a tow-barge, she was sold Canadian and renamed BALTIC (C.116760). She was later used as a breakwater at Clear Creek, Ontario and was finally scrapped in 1939.

On 05 November 1852, BUCKEYE STATE (3-mast wooden bark, 132 foot, 310 tons, built in 1852, at Black River, Ohio) stranded off S. Milwaukee Point on Lake Michigan in a storm and was then broken up by waves. This was her first year of operation and she had been in service less than three months.

LOUIS R. DESMARAIS cleared Owen Sound, Ontario on her maiden voyage November 5, 1977, bound for Thunder Bay, Ontario, to load 27,117 gross tons of iron ore for Stelco at Hamilton, Ontario. Her forward end was replaced at Port Weller in 2001, and renamed b.) CSL LAURENTIEN.

On her final trip, the IRVIN L. CLYMER passed up bound at the Soo on November 5, 1990, and arrived at Duluth two days later to unload limestone at the Hallet Dock #5, after which she moved to her final lay-up berth at Fraser Shipyard and tied up, blowing one last three long and two short salute from her whistle. In 1993, she was sold to Azcon Corp. of Duluth, Minnesota for scrapping.

GRAND HAVEN was raised on November 5, 1969, from the Old River Bed, where she sank on September 19, 1969. She was raised for scrapping.

Mr. J. W. Isherwood visited the Great Lakes Engineering Works shipyard on November 5, 1910, and personally inspected the hull which was being built according to his patented design. This vessel, the WILLIAM P. PALMER, was the first vessel on the Great Lakes built to the Isherwood system of longitudinal framing.

On 05 Nov 1917, a foggy and rainy day, the JAMES S. DUNHAM (steel propeller bulk freighter, 420 foot, 4,795 gross tons, built in 1906, at W. Bay City, Michigan) sank in a collision with the steamer ROBERT FULTON (steel propeller bulk freighter, 424 foot, 4,219 gross tons, built 1896, at Wyandotte, Michigan) just below Grassy Island on the Detroit River. Repairs for both vessels totaled $125,000.

On 5 November 1896, ACADIA (iron-framed wooden propeller, 176 foot, built in 1867, at Hamilton, Ontario) was driven ashore and broke up in a gale near the mouth of the Michipicoten River in Lake Superior. Her crew made it to shore and five of them spent more than a week trying to make it to the Soo.

The Port Huron Times of 5 November 1878: "The schooner J. P. MARCH is reported lost with all on board. She was lost at Little Traverse Bay on the northern shore of Lake Michigan. The MARCH was a three-masted schooner and was owned by Benton & Pierce of Chicago."

On 5 November 1838, TOLEDO (2-mast wooden schooner, 98 foot, 215 tons, built in 1836, at Buffalo) was carrying dry goods valued at more than $100,000 up-bound on Lake Erie when she was driven ashore by a gale a half mile east of the mouth of the Grand River. She broke in two. No lives were lost.

On 5 November 1869, TITAN (wooden schooner, 132 foot, 361 gross tons, built in 1856, at Oswego, New York) was carrying 17,500 bushels of wheat on Lake Michigan in a terrific gale. She was driven toward shore. Her anchors were dropped as she came close in and they held for about an hour. However, the ship finally dragged ashore, losing both of her masts and breaking up as she struck. Of the nine on board, only one survived and that one was found crawling along the beach in a dazed state. When she was new, TITAN broke the record by completing the trip from Chicago to Oswego in only 8 days and 4 hours. Her record only lasted one day since the schooner SURPRISE broke it by 6 hours the following day.

In the summer of 1875, the propeller EAST ran down and sank the tug JOE MAC, not even pausing to save her crew from drowning. The following winter Messrs. Seymour & Co., owners of the JOE MAC, obtained a judgment in a U.S. Court against the owners of the EAST. Since the EAST was a Canadian vessel, they were unable to seize her because the judgment could only be effected in American waters. On Sunday morning, 05 Nov 1876, the steam tug SEYMOUR, with a United States Marshal and posse on board, proceeded up to Allen's (presumably at Ogdensburg, New York), and there lay in wait for the EAST, which went up by the Crossover light channel into American waters. The SEYMOUR ran out and captured the vessel and brought her to Averell's wharf in U.S. waters to await justice.

CALCITE II arrived in Sarnia at 6 a.m. on Sunday, 05 Nov. 2000, for lay-up. After leaving Cleveland the previous day, she anchored in Western Lake Erie, so she could arrive at the North Slip in Sarnia when shoreside personnel would be on-hand to assist. A chartered bus from Rogers City left about noon to take many of the crew home. Around 4:10 p.m., the downbound MYRON C. TAYLOR passed her fleetmate CALCITE II, perhaps for the last time in USS Great Lakes Fleet colors, and she blew her sister an extended 3 long and 2 short master salute. The TAYLOR was bound for Cleveland with a load of stone.

1885: The Canadian Pacific passenger and freight steamer ALGOMA cleared Owen Sound on its final trip with 11 passengers and headed for the Canadian Lakehead.

1897: IDAHO departed Buffalo and was caught in a wild storm on Lake Erie. The wooden passenger and freight carrier fell into the trough and only two survived. They had climbed the mast and were plucked from the crow's nest the next morning in a heroic effort by the crew of the MARIPOSA.

1940: SPARTA was wrecked near the Pictured Rocks after stranding on a reef in a heavy gale. The hull was abandoned on November 11 but salvaged in 1941 and never repaired.

1957: The Finnish freighter KORSO struck a drifting World War Two mine off Cape Mondjego, Portugal, and sank as a belated casualty of the conflict. The vessel had been built at Kingston, ON in 1942 as H.M.C.S. IRONBOUND and converted for mercantile use in 1948.

1962: EDWIN REITH, a West German salty, grounded near Tibbetts Point, Lake Ontario, and had to be lightered to P.S. BARGE NO. 1. It was released and came to Toronto to unload on November 14.

1967: The Canadian laker MOHAWK DEER, enroute to La Spezia, Italy, for scrapping, ran aground in the Gulf of Genoa near Portofino, Italy, and sank the next day.

1987: CATHARINA WIARDS sank in the Red Sea as d) TRADER after the engine room flooded during a voyage from Augusta, Italy, to China. The vessel was a year old when it came through the Seaway for the first time in 1970.

1991: OLYMPIC PEACE, a Seaway trader for the first time in 1976, arrived at Piraeus, Greece, with damage to the main engine cooling system as c) FREE PEACE. It was later seized by Banco-Hellenique and sold at auction. The ship was scrapped in China during 1994 as e) PATMOS I.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Seaway stopped at Beauharnois

11/6 - Late Thursday afternoon the Federal Satsuki hit the ship arrestor at Lock 4 of the St. Lawrence Seaway at Beauharnois. The damaged ship arrestor will have to be replaced, which is estimated to take 12 hours. The upbound Kaministiqua is waiting below Lock 3 for the Seaway to reopen. The upbound Pineglen will soon go to anchor in Lake St. Louis. (As of 21:50) Downbound is the Mapleglen secured above Lock 4 and Algoma Harvester anchored at St. Zotique. Soon the Ida will join her to wait there.

Ron Beaupre





First of CSL's two new Trillium-Class Great Lakes bulk carriers sails on maiden voyage

11/6 - Canada Steamship Lines’ next generation bulk carrier CSL Welland set out Thursday on her maiden voyage from China to Canada, where she will serve as the latest addition to CSL’s state-of-the-art Trillium-Class fleet on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

The 36,100 tonnes in deadweight, Seawaymax gearless bulker embarked for Montreal from the Yangfan shipyard on Zhoushan Island, China, where she was built. The 50 to 60 day journey will take CSL Welland across the East China Sea and Pacific Ocean, through the Panama Canal and up the east coast of North America.

Captain Andriy Bondarenko and Chief Engineer Nicolas Lavoie are in command of CSL Welland. Capt. Bondarenko was also at the helm of the Trillium Class self-unloader Baie Comeau on her maiden voyage from China to Canada last year.

CSL Welland’s sister ship, CSL St-Laurent, will also be delivered in the coming weeks and will complete CSL’s ambitious fleet renewal program, which was launched in 2010. The newbuild program also produced four new Trillium Class self-unloading Lakers (Baie St. Paul, Baie Comeau, Thunder Bay and Whitefish Bay) and three Panamax self-unloaders (Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin, CSL Tecumseh and CSL Tacoma), which were delivered in 2012 and 2013.

“These ships place CSL well ahead of the curve in terms of fleet efficiency and environmental sustainability. I couldn’t be more proud of CSL’s Operations and Newbuild teams and the many staff experts who helped make this bold dream a reality. These truly are new ships for a new era at CSL,” said Louis Martel, President of Canada Steamship Lines.

The new bulkers feature IMO Tier II-compliant main engines as well as the latest environmental and safety technologies. These are consistent with the high standards of operational efficiency, reliability and environmental sustainability set by CSL’s other Trillium-Class vessels.

CSL





Port Reports - November 6

Cedarville, Mich.
On Tuesday, the Great Republic arrived and began loading.

Calcite, Mich. – Jake H
On Tuesday, the Cason J. Callaway arrived and called on the north dock. Later in the afternoon, her fleet mate Philip R. Clarke arrived and called on the south dock.

Stoneport, Mich. – Jake H
Tuesday the Arthur M Anderson arrived and began loading.

Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
The tug Ohio moved upriver Wednesday and was docked at the GLT tug dock off Katherine Street, while the Ferrell 256 remains tied up at the Visiting Ship's Dock. The Karen Andrie - Endeavor arrived around 7 p.m. Tuesday for Noco in Tonawanda where they were unloading.

Parry Sound, Ont.
Algrorail, unloading salt at Parry Sound Wednesday, appeared from photos to have broken the last few feet of her boom.





Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy still draws reverence

11/6 - Whitefish Point, Mich. – For decades, Fran Gabor harbored a nagging guilt that intensified whenever she heard "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," Gordon Lightfoot's ballad about the maritime tragedy whose hold on popular culture is surpassed only by that of the Titanic.

Finally, this summer, she and her husband, Terry, drove more than 550 miles from their home in Madison, Ohio, to the Upper Peninsula on a long-anticipated mission. Their destination: the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on Whitefish Point, where they would pay respects to her uncle, Edward Francis Bindon, who went down with the ill-fated freighter.

Bindon was first assistant engineer on the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. All 29 crewmen perished when the ship mysteriously disappeared from radar and sank in Lake Superior during a ferocious storm on Nov. 10, 1975. It was loaded with ore and bound for Cleveland, via Detroit, when the storied "gales of November" — near-hurricane-force winds and blinding snow squalls — struck.

"No one's ever been here to represent him. I regret it," she said of her seafaring Uncle Eddie, who had no siblings and no children. Sadly, Gabor said, the Fitzgerald's fatal voyage was to have been his final work trip; he'd planned to come home and retire after that.

Each Nov. 10 since, at 7:10 p.m., during the museum's annual memorial service, the bell is tolled 29 times for the Fitzgerald's crew, plus a 30th time to honor the estimated 30,000 victims on more than 6,000 ships that have gone down on the Great Lakes since the 1600s. The museum, closed for the season, will be open that evening.

To this day, there are many theories but no consensus on how and why the 729-foot steamer, once known as the "Queen of the Great Lakes," went down. The disaster happened in less than 10 minutes with no SOS and no survivors to tell the tale.

The massive freighter, broken in two pieces, lies in frigid waters 17 miles off Whitefish Point, 535 feet below Superior's surface. It's the last and most famous victim in "the graveyard of the Great Lakes." a region that's littered with at least 240 shipwrecks.

Whitefish Point, north of the little town of Paradise on Michigan's so-called Shipwreck Coast, has been on Gabor's bucket list for years.

Now 68, Gabor pondered her uncle's fate as she stood in the darkened shipwreck museum near the Fitzgerald's gleaming bronze bell. Divers recovered the 200-pound artifact from the wreck site on July 4, 1995, 20 years after the disaster. In its place, they installed a replica bell inscribed with names of the lost crew, to serve as a permanent grave-marker.

As Lightfoot's haunting ballad played in the moody museum, Gabor shared details about her lost uncle that gave her listeners goose bumps: Just days after hearing the stunning news about the Fitzgerald, his grieving widow got a surprise delivery, a veritable gift from the grave. While in port in Duluth, Minn., Bindon had bought his wife a two-carat diamond ring as a surprise 25th wedding anniversary gift. He had given it to a friend for safekeeping.

"For some reason, he didn't want to take it aboard the ship. He just had an ominous feeling — at least that's how it seems," said Gabor, who still can picture her family crying together in the kitchen when the ring arrived. "My aunt never remarried, and she wore that ring the rest of her life."

Thirty-nine years after the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, "the legend lives on" and continues to intrigue the public, thanks largely to Lightfoot's song, which was written on an airplane and inspired, the Canadian folksinger has said, by an article he read in Newsweek.

"We get people here from all over the world," said Terry Begnoche, site manager of the shipwreck museum, which draws upward of 65,000 visitors from May through October. "It's amazing what a song and a story can do."

In addition to touring the museum, watching a video and shopping, visitors may climb Lake Superior's oldest active lighthouse and stay overnight in the Crews Quarters of the restored U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboat Station. The bed and breakfast-style accommodations, with five themed rooms and a shared common area, are so popular reservations are advised far in advance.

Most visitors also stroll along the boardwalk and shoreline, gazing out across the waves, thinking about the doomed Edmund Fitzgerald. Some pause to photograph makeshift driftwood crosses occasionally placed on the beach, temporary, yet poignant tributes to the lost mariners in their watery grave.

If you go ...

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on Whitefish Point is 370 miles north of Detroit. Check shipwreckmuseum.com; [phone]. The museum's main gallery will be open from 1-4 p.m. Nov. 10, convenient for those attending that night's memorial service. The Crews Quarters is open this year through Nov. 11; it is booked for the night of Nov. 10, but a few rooms are still available for Nov. 9 and nights before then. The buildings close for the season, but the grounds are open year-round for anyone interested in visiting Whitefish Point in winter.

Detroit News





Lookback #354 – Former Oak Hill arrived at Singapore under tow on Nov. 6, 1968

11/6 - The Oak Hill made a total of seven trips to the Great Lakes in the early years of the St. Lawrence Seaway. These included four visits in 1961 and three more in 1962.

The vessel was built by Marine Industries Ltd. of Sorel, Quebec, and completed as Fort Michipicoten in October 1943. It served during wartime, often in convoy duty, and escaped enemy damage.

The 441 foot, 6 inch long steamer became Oak Hill in 1950 and remained on saltwater routes save for its two years of inland trading.

The ship was sold again and moved under Greek, and later Cypriot, registry as Agenor. It reported to be in distress due to a major leak in the engineroom on a delivery voyage to a Chinese scrapyard. It had departed Colombo, Ceylon, (now Sri Lanka), for Whampoa, China, when the trouble developed and the ship was towed into Singapore 46 years ago today.

Instead of completing the voyage, Agenor was resold to Singapore shipbreakers and was broken up by the Siong Huat Hardware Co.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - November 6

On 06 November 1880, the W. R. HANNA (2-mast scow-schooner, 86 foot, 103 gross tons, built in 1857), carrying 1,600 tamarack railroad ties to Toledo, sank in Lake Huron in a snowstorm. She sprang a leak off Pointe aux Barques and filled so fast that the pump was of no use. She broached to and rolled over when about 5 miles north of Sand Beach, Michigan, (now Harbor Beach). s the sun set the snow storm turned into a blizzard. The icy waves swept over the hull while the crew clung on as best they could. Four hours later, they drifted past Sand Beach, not 500 feet from the breakwater. They shouted for help, saw lights moving here and there on the breakwater, but no help came. When the wind shifted and started to blow the vessel out into the lake, the skipper cut away the weather lanyards and the vessel righted herself and they dropped the anchor. The weather was freezing cold; and there was no dry place left. The cabin was gone and the only spot out of water was on one side forward - a space about four feet wide by ten feet long. The waves kept washing over the waterlogged vessel, drenching the crew. The crew survived through the night. Heavy snow kept falling, cutting visibility to almost zero. Finally, at 10 a.m., the following morning, the storm broke and the propeller H. LUELLA WORTHINGTON (wooden propeller freighter, 148 foot, 375 gross tons, built in 1880, at Lorain, Ohio), which was in the harbor, saw the wreck and rescued the crew. The skipper of the WORTHINGTON stated that he had heard the cries of the crew throughout the night, but couldn't navigate in the blinding snowstorm. He was awake all night waiting for the storm to break so he could rescue the crew.

On 06 November 1867, ALBEMARLE (3-mast wooden schooner, 154 foot, 413 gross tons, built in 1867, at Buffalo, New York) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Cleveland, Ohio in a storm when she stranded and wrecked near Point Nipigon in the Straits of Mackinac. This was her first year of operation. She had been put into service just the previous July.

The US266029, a.) WILLIAM CLAY FORD was towed from Nicholson's River Rouge dock November 6, 1986, by tugs TUSKER and GLENADA to Port Maitland, Ontario for scrapping.

On November 6, 1913, the J. H. SHEADLE left Fort William, Ontario bound for Erie, Pennsylvania, with grain and encountered fog, gale winds and a snow blizzard in one of the fiercest storms of the century.

On November 6, 1925, the Northern Navigation passenger steamer HAMONIC lost her propeller 20 miles west of Caribou Island in Lake Superior and was wallowing in gale force winds with gusts to 80 m.p.h. She was towed to safety by Pittsburgh Steamship Co.’s RICHARD TRIMBLE.

On 06 Nov 1985, Desguaces Heme began scrapping the LEON FALK, JR. in Gijon, Spain. This vessel was built in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1945, as the tanker a.) WINTER HILL, (504 foot, 10,534 gross tons) and then was converted to a 710 foot, 12,501 gross ton bulk freighter in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1960-61.

On 6 November 1872, the wooden propeller tug MILDRED, while towing a vessel out of Alpena, Michigan, had her engine fail. Soon she was in trouble and sank. The crew was saved.

On 6 November 1827, ANN (wooden schooner, 53 foot, 58 tons, built in 1819, or 1821, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying salt, general merchandise and passengers when she was driven ashore on Long Point almost opposite Erie, Pennsylvania. 7 Lives were lost, including 5 passengers. 6 survived.

In 1912, the Pere Marquette Railroad announced plans to build a new roundhouse at Ludington, Michigan. It still stands today.

On 6 November 1874, The Port Huron Times listed the following vessels lost in the month of October and in the first week of November of that year: Propellers - BROOKLYN, FRANKFORT, NEW YORK; tug DOUGLAS; schooners - CITY OF PAINSVILLE, WANDERER, PREBLE, THOS S MOTT; and barges - CLIFTON and SHERMAN.

On 6 November 1883, GUIDING STAR (3-mast wooden schooner, 139 foot, 324 tons, built in 1869, at Oswego, New York) was carrying coal to Milwaukee in fog when she went ashore 12 miles north of Milwaukee. Four of the crew made it to shore in the yawl, but it was wrecked in the process. The rest of the crew was finally rescued by the Milwaukee Lifesavers.

Crews began painting the hull of the SAGINAW (formerly JOHN J. BOLAND) in the colors of Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. (gray) on 06 Nov 1999, at Sarnia, Ontario. The vessel had recently been purchased from American Steamship Co. Inside the vessel, crews were gutting the living quarters to remove asbestos and add fireproof walls and new flooring. The engine room equipment and the unloading gear were also refurbished.

On November 6, 1897, the Minnesota Steamship boat MARIPOSA (steel, 348', 2898 gross tons, built in 1892, Globe Iron Works, Cleveland, Ohio) under the command of Capt. Frank Root, rescued the two remaining survivors of the wreck of the package freighter IDAHO (wooden package freighter, 220', 915 gross tons, built in 1863, Peck & Masters, Cleveland, Ohio.) off Long Point, Ontario on Lake Erie. The MARIPOSA'S first mate, Capt. Myron K. Chamberlain, had sighted the two Idaho survivors clinging to the 100' spar of the sunken IDAHO. Gale winds and seas of 12'-15' overtook the IDAHO taking with it to their deaths 19 crewmen including Captain Alexander Gillies. "In what is considered one of the greatest accomplishments of ship handling and rescue by a major Great Lakes vessel,” Capt. Root and his crewmen were able to turn the MARIPOSA around ("rolling her rails under") three times in the midst of a gale, bringing their vessel right up to the spar where IDAHO Second Mate Louis LaForce Jr. and Deckhand William Gill were pulled "half dead" on board the MARIPOSA by the officers and deck crew. Both LaForce & Gill recovered. An appreciative City of Buffalo, (hometown to most of the IDAHO crew), and the Minnesota Steamship Company awarded Capt. Root a gold watch, and instructed him to award his first mate and chief engineer each an extra month's pay, and the MARIPOSA crew each an extra half month's pay for a job well done.

At 10 p.m. on November 6, 1975 the newly refurbished sidewheel ferry TRILLIUM was towed from the drydock at Ramey's Bend, Ontario, down the Welland Canal by the Canada Dredge & Dock tugs G. W. Rogers and BAGOTVILLE, arriving at Toronto on early on a foggy November 7.

1918: CHESTER A. CONGDON cleared Fort William with grain and stranded on Canoe Rock, Isle Royale in rough weather and poor visibility. The crew was rescued but the ship broke up and was listed as the first $1 million dollar loss in Great Lakes’ history.

1928: A.W. THOMPSON served as a Great Lakes consort barge before going to the Atlantic in 1918. The vessel foundered 60 miles south of Brunswick, GA, enroute from Wilmington, DE to a Gulf of Mexico port.

1968: OAK HILL visited the Great Lakes for seven trips in 1961-1962. It arrived at Singapore under tow as c) AGENOR on this date with leaking in the engine room while on a delivery trip to Chinese shipbreakers at Whampoa. The vessel was resold for scrapping in Singapore.

1969: REINHART LORENZ RUSS made 22 trips through the Seaway from 1960 through 1966. It sank as b) NAIS one mile off Raffles Light, Singapore, after a collision with the Norwegian tanker BERGEBRAGD (68/80,003) and one life was lost.

1981: LA LOMA, an early and frequent Seaway trader, arrived at Cape Town, South Africa, with hull damage as e) AEGEAN SUN. The ship was traveling from China to Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It was assessed as beyond economical repair and laid up at Mombasa. The vessel was eventually sold to Pakistani shipbreakers and arrived at Gadani Beach under tow on April 18, 1985, for dismantling.

1983: EVA MARIA C., a Seaway caller in 1976, developed leaks as c) LAGADA BEACH and sank about 200 miles northeast of Aden. The vessel was enroute to Bandar Abbas, Iran, with iron and steel products.

[yachtsmanwilly]

U.S.-flag cargos on lakes up nearly 15 percent in October

11/7 - Cleveland, Ohio – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters moved 11.3 million tons of dry-bulk cargo in October, an increase of 14.7 percent compared to a year ago. The October float was also 19.6 percent above the month’s long-term average.

Iron ore for North American steelmakers totaled 5.4 million tons in October, an increase of 21.3 percent compared to a year ago. The industry continues to benefit from high water levels. Several ore cargos topped 69,000 tons. Nonetheless, if the Great Lakes Navigation System was dredged to project dimensions, loads could have topped 72,000 tons. The industry is working with Congress to ensure dredging nationally is funded in FY15 at the level called for in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act: $1.166 billion. The increased funding should bring more dredging dollars back to the lakes and begin to reverse the build-up of sediment in ports and waterways.

Coal cargos totaled 2.4 million tons, an increase of 13.3 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments of limestone increased 4 percent to 2.8 million tons.

Year-to-date, U.S.-flag cargo movement stands at 71.3 million tons, a decrease of 2.8 percent compared to the same point in 2013. The shortfall is a far cry from what it was in March and April when thick ice formations all but stalled shipping. As May began, U.S.-flag cargo movement was down 45 percent. However, with a new ice season in the offing, industry will need the U.S. and Canadian coast guards to keep commerce moving well into January in order to complete customers’ requirements.

Lake Carriers’ Association





18,000 litres of diesel fuel found on Canadian Miner shipwreck off Cape Breton

11/7 - Halifax, N.S. – Nova Scotia's transportation minister says 18,000 litres of diesel fuel have been removed from a derelict ship stranded off Cape Breton.

Geoff MacLellan says the fuel was found by the company that is removing the wreck of the fomer laker Canadian Miner from Scatarie Island, a provincially-protected wilderness area.

MacLellan says the fuel was found in tanks in one area of the vessel and has been removed safely.

On Tuesday, MacLellan said federal reports had estimated there was no fuel left on the bulk carrier and only 6.6 tonnes of asbestos, but the company found 30 tonnes of the carcinogenic material.

MacLellan says information on the amount of materials that have been removed is being forwarded to Transport Canada as he tries to make a case for federal assistance. He says he has not received a response to date from federal officials.

Canadian Press





Seaway crucial for vital cargo ahead of winter

11/7 - Shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway remained strong in October as North American manufacturers and cities stockpiled vital materials in advance of the coming winter and farmers relied on the waterway to export the new harvest.

According to the St. Lawrence Seaway, total cargo tonnage from March 25 to October 31 reached 29.6 million metric tons, up 4.5 per cent over the same period last year. Robust grain and steel shipments have more than offset a drop in iron ore shipments through the Seaway.

New grain harvests helped year-to-date total grain shipments (for Canada and the U.S.) reach 8.4 million metric tons, up 49.9 per cent. Grain shipments from Toledo to Ontario and Quebec, for example, continued to be strong in October due to demand for corn for ethanol production and animal feed.

Steel shipments to U.S. ports such as Toledo, Cleveland, Detroit, Burns Harbor and Milwaukee for use in the automotive and construction industries tallied 1.8 million metric tons, up 76 per cent.

These increases have been offset by a 26.5 per cent decrease in iron ore volumes through the system and an 11 per cent decrease in coal tonnage.

With winter weather just weeks away, municipal stockpiling of road salt took on a new sense of urgency. Salt shipments via the Seaway now total 2.3 million metric tons, up by 34 per cent this season. NA mines have been working hard to replenish city reserves in Canada and the U.S. and the Seaway is also seeing salt imported from overseas to meet the high demands. For example, salt is being transported out of the Port of Cleveland and Fairport Harbor, Ohio to U.S. towns all over the Great Lakes as well as to Ontario and Quebec.

Cement products, destined for construction projects across Great Lakes U.S. states, totaled 1.2 million metric tons, up 9 per cent. Ships have been busy transporting clinker and other raw materials to St. Marys Cement’s (Group Votorantim) plants in Charlevoix and Detroit, Michigan, as well as moving finished products to their terminals throughout the Lakes.

Chamber of Marine Commerce





Port Reports - November 7

Port Inland, Mich. – Jake H.
On Wednesday, Sam Laud arrived and began loading.

Cedarville, Mich. – Jake H.
On Wednesday, Wilfred Sykes arrived and began loading.

Calcite, Mich. – Jake H.
On Wednesday, Manitowoc arrived and called on the north dock. Later in the day, the John J Boland arrived and called on the south dock.

Toledo, Ohio
The name has been painted out on the American Fortitude, which was recently sold to a Texas firm for eventually scrapping.





Grain shipments leading exceptional year for port

11/7 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – With two months remaining in the shipping season, the Port of Thunder Bay has already surpassed last year’s total cargo tonnage. The spotlight continues to be on the port’s grain elevators, which have pushed through 6.3 million metric tonnes (MT) of the cargo year-to-date – nearly a million MT more than last year’s final tally.

As of October 31, grain shipments are 73% higher than last year at the same time. For the sixth consecutive month, grain throughput hit a monthly 17-year high with over 850,000 MT shipped. The port’s elevators are now simultaneously handling the remainder of Western Canada’s bumper grain crop from last year and the 2014 harvest.

As many city residents have observed, the harbor has been particularly active with vessel traffic this year. Vessel calls to the port are up significantly, corresponding with the surge in shipments. There has been a 72% increase in foreign saltie calls and a 34% increase in domestic ‘Laker’ calls compared to last year. Overall there have been 98 more vessel calls in 2014 than year-to-date in 2013.

Port of Thunder Bay





Demolition report – World Ship Society

11/7 - Marine News, the monthly journal of the World Ship Society, reports the following ships with Great Lakes connections going for scrap in the November 2014 issue.

An Long Jiang was not long out of the Hayashikane Shipyard in Shimonoseki, Japan, when it first came up through the Seaway on Oct. 22, 1985. The vessel was bound for Burns Harbor, IN. The ship was sold to Chinese shipbreakers and arrived at Ningde, Fujian, on Aug. 14, 2013, for dismantling.

The tanker Countess had been a Seaway trader in 1992 as d) Panam Trinity. The ship had been build as Shoun Kingsbird in 1984 and was recently scrapped under her seventh name. The vessel arrived at Alang, India, on July 10, 2014.

Fisher D. was built at Muroran, Japan, in 1982 and entered service as Vasiliki. The ship came through the Seaway the next year and was a frequent trader to the Great Lakes after becoming Capetan Michalis in 1985. The vessel handled steel, various grains, ferro-manganese, potash and coke. It left the lakes for the last time in Nov. 2005 with mustard seed and flax. The 593 foot, 3 inch long bulk carrier was sold and became Fisher D. in 2011 and arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping on July 7, 2014. Haroun arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, on July 10, 2014, and scrapping got underway on July 21. The West German built cargo carrier was completed in August 1972, and was a Seaway caller as Ibn Badis, under the flag of Algeria, in 1977. It last sailed under Syrian registry as d) Haroun.

Galicia was built at Vigo, Spain, in 1984 and came through the Seaway in 1985 under that name. The 6,483 gross ton cargo vessel was renamed d) Destiny Queen in 2001 and converted to a “fish farm support vessel” in 2004. It was called “the world's only abalone farm” but occasionally ran into conflict with union leaders for not using an Australian crew while anchored off the coast of Australia. The ship was relocated off China and renamed e) Phosphor in 2011 and arrived at Xinhui, Guangdong, for scrapping on Sept. 2, 2013.

Silica II was built at Ulsan, South Korea, in 1987 as A.V. Kastner. The 520 foot, 5 inch long vessel was owned by the United States Gypsum Corp. and worked as a self-unloader with a stern mounted unloading boom. It came through the Seaway on June 4, 2009, for Hamilton. It was sold and renamed Silica II in 2010 and arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping on July 18, 2014.

Theresa Mars was a deep-sea tanker that had been a Seaway trader as a) Rachel B. beginning in 1999. The ship carried coal tar to Detroit on its first trip inland in July 1999 and later in the year returned with stops at Valleyfield, Chicago and Cleveland. It had been registered in the British Virgin Islands and sailing as c) Theresa Mars since 2009. The ship arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping on July 30, 2014.

Lakes Related:
The bulk carrier Progress was too wide to visit the Great Lakes but was well known around Eastern Canada during its years as a) Northern Progress and b) Federal Progress. The ship had been built at Takamatsu, Japan, in 1989 and was designed to carry alumina for the smelter at Arvida, Quebec, with unloading at Port Alfred/La Baie, Quebec. It was initially owned by Alcan (Bermuda) Ltd. but was sold to Fednav of Montreal and renamed in 2002. The ship left Canadian waters in 2013 after being renamed c) Progress at Montreal in April. The vessel arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, on July 21, 2014, and scrapping was underway within a week.

Compiled by Barry Andersen, Rene Beauchamp and Skip Gillham





Lookback #355 – William C. Warren stranded in Lake Huron on Nov. 7, 1947

The William C. Warren kept the same name through three different companies. An accident 67 years ago led to it moving from its second to its third fleet.

The ship had been built for the Eastern Steamship Co. and it was launched at Old Kirkpatrick, Scotland, on March 30, 1925. The 261 foot long steamship arrived at Montreal, from overseas, on May 7 on a voyage to Toronto with 2,000 tons of coal.

On April 21, 1931, the William C. Warren was the first vessel to pass down bound through the new Welland Canal. But by the mid-thirties, the ship was often inactive and laid up at Muir's Pond, Port Dalhousie.

William C. Warren was sold to the Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co. (later Upper Lakes Shipping) in 1936. It spent time on saltwater during the World War Two. The ship was painted gray and given gun placements for the dangerous assignment. During the war years the vessel was equipped with kingposts and cargo booms but these were later removed in peacetime.

The ship stranded near Presque Isle Point in Lake Huron off Alpena on Nov. 7, 1947, due to a fall storm. Salvage had to wait until spring although the cargo of grain was blown ashore, via a pipeline across the ice, during the winter.

Sold “as is, where is” to Beaconsfield Steamships Ltd. on April 1, 1948, the vessel was salvaged, taken to Collingwood and rebuilt for further service.

Sadly, on the first trip after returning to service in November 1948, the William C. Warren stranded near Port Colborne. The accident also occurred on Nov. 7, but exactly one year, later from the first misadventure.

William C. Warren later survived a collision with the Royalton in the foggy Welland Canal near Port Robinson. Both ships sustained bow damage in the June 7, 1958, meeting.

With the opening of the Seaway on April 25, 1959, William C. Warren was the third ship down bound through the waterway trailing Humberdoc and Weyburn.

But the Seaway made most freighters of this size redundant and William C. Warren was idle at Sorel from 1961 to 1964. Following a sale for scrap, the ship was towed to Montreal on Oct. 7, 1964, and broken up over the winter.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - November 7

On 07 November 1871, M COURTRIGHT (wooden schooner, 276 tons, built in 1856, at Erie, Pennsylvania) was carrying lumber in a storm on Lake Michigan. She struck bottom after her anchor dragged. She then became waterlogged. The crew abandoned in the yawl. The vessel went ashore several miles south of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The revenue cutter ANDREW JOHNSON tried in vain to pull her free but couldn't. The COURTRIGHT broke up a few days later.

On 7 November 1852, ST LOUIS (wooden side-wheeler, 190 foot, 618 tons, built in 1844, at Perrysburg, Ohio) was carrying railroad cars when she capsized and sank in a gale off Kelley's Island on Lake Erie. She was owned by Beer & Samuel Ward.

On 07 Nov 1906, the Grand Trunk carferry GRAND HAVEN (steel carferry, 306 foot, 2,320 gross tons built in 1903, at Toledo, Ohio) was put up for sale at a receiver's auction when the Grand Trunk Car Ferry Line defaulted on its bonds. It was purchased by a new Grand Trunk subsidiary, the Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company. This vessel had a long career both on the Lakes and in the Caribbean. She was finally scrapped at Hamilton, Ontario in 1970.

The T-2 converted laker HILDA MARJANNE's 1961, German-built hull forward of the engine room, minus her pilot house, was towed by the tugs G W ROGERS and BAGOTVILLE to Port Weller Dry Docks arriving there on November 7, 1983. This section was to become part of the CANADIAN RANGER.

On November 7, 1989, the SAMUEL MATHER, a.) HENRY FORD II, was moved to Toledo's C & O Frog Pond on her way to the cutter's torch.

ARTHUR B HOMER (Hull#303) was launched November 7, 1959, for the Bethlehem Steel Corp., Cleveland, Ohio. She was the last ship built by Great Lakes Engineering at River Rouge, Michigan.

In 1902, BRANSFORD rammed and sank the tug RECORD with a loss of a tug crewman in the Portage Lake Ship Canal in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. Renamed b.) JOHN H MC GEAN in 1916, and c.) CLIFFORD F. HOOD in 1943, the HOOD was scrapped in Bilbao, Spain in 1974.

On November 7, 1913, the storm responsible for sinking or damaging more vessels than any other began a six-day assault on the Great Lakes. The "Big Blow" of 1913, struck Lake Superior on November 7 and reached Lake Michigan by November 8, where the Pittsburgh Steamship Company vessel CLARENCE A. BLACK was severely damaged by the waves at the dock in Gary, Indiana.

On 7 November 1893, ALBANY (steel propeller package freighter, 267 foot, 1,918 gross tons, built in 1884, at Wyandotte, Michigan) collided with the iron freighter PHILADELPHIA in a thick fog. PHILADELPHIA took ALBANY in tow to try to save her, but she sank a few miles off Pointe aux Barques, Michigan. Her crew transferred to PHILADELPHIA, but they soon had to abandon her too since she also sank. Eight lives were lost, presumably when one of the lifeboats was run down by the still running, but abandoned, PHILADELPHIA.

On 7 November 1865, LILY DANCEY (2-mast wooden schooner, 92 foot, 132 gross tons built in 1856, at Goderich, Ontario) was carrying grain in a gale on Lake Huron when she was driven ashore near Port Elgin or Kincardine, Ontario. Her cargo was later recovered, but the schooner broke up by 27 November of that year.

CITY OF FLINT 32 ran aground at Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1947.

1885: ALGOMA hit Greenstone Rock off Isle Royale, Lake Superior and became a total loss. There were 46 casualties and only 16 on board were saved.

1887: OSCEOLA ran aground on Flat Rock Reef, Saginaw Bay, and all on board were rescued. The ship was abandoned as a total loss in December but refloated in the spring of 1888 and rebuilt.

1910: WASAGA caught fire and burned off Copper Harbor while seeking shelter in a storm, but all on board survived.

1921: ARAGON stranded off Salmon Point, Lake Ontario. It was released the following year but declared a total loss. The hull was sold and rebuilt and last sailed as BAYANNA in 1962.

1921: The wooden schooner barge MARY E. McLAUCHLAN sank in a storm on Nipigon Bay, Lake Superior.

1947: WILLIAM C. WARREN ran aground near Presque Isle Point, Lake Huron, while downbound with grain and had to be abandoned to the underwriters. It was not released until the following year.

1969: The Norwegian tanker CATE BROVIG hit the wall while upbound at the Eisenhower Lock and had a hole punched in the hull. The vessel was headed for Duluth. The ship first came inland in 1959 and was scrapped at Split, Yugoslavia as c) STAVROS T. in 1976.

1974: IRIS had come to the Great Lakes in 1969 and 1971. It sank as d) EUROPEAN PERSISTENCE while 510 miles southeast of Bermuda after developing leaks while enroute from Tampa to Venice. All on board were rescued.

1991: The former Swedish freighter FALKON, a first time Seaway trader in 1984, sank as c) APPOLONIA FAITH off the southwest coast of Sardinia while traveling from Valencia, Spain, to Piraeus, Greece. Two lives were lost.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Port having best shipping season in more than a decade

11/10 -Portage, Ind. – Overhead cranes are lifting tons of bulk and break bulk shipments at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, which is having its best year in more than 10 years because of a robust trade of grain and steel.

The deepwater port on Lake Michigan's southern shore surpassed its previous five-year average of total annual shipments in just the first three quarters of the year.

"This is the busiest shipping season we have had at this port in more than a decade," Port Director Rick Heimann said.

A total of 29.5 million metric tons passed through the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes through the end of October, a 4.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the American Great Lakes Ports Association.

Strong shipments of grain, steel, salt and limestone have driven the record pace of traffic at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor. By year's end, cargo should be up 25 percent over 2013.

Year-to-date shipments at the port in Portage had been up 27 percent over 2013 last month after a surge in steel and limestone freight caused September cargoes to double.

Last year, the port handled the highest amount of steel cargo since 2006, when dockworkers loaded and unloaded 2.5 million tons of cargo. This year's shipments are expected to double the 2013 total.

"Much of this is driven by increased throughput by manufacturers in Northwest Indiana and Chicago, but there is also significant new business being generated by metal processors that have expanded facilities or developed new businesses within our port complex," Heimann said. "These sizable investments signify strong confidence in the long-term future of the Midwest economy and Great Lakes shipping."

Overall, U.S. exports of steel -- 90 percent of which go to Canada and Mexico -- are down 6 percent so far this year because its usual trade partners have been going through a period of anemic economic growth, according to the American Institute for International Steel. Meanwhile, steel imports have been surging and were up 36 percent year-over-year through the end of September.

"The expansion of imports is a sign of -- and contributor to -- good economic health," the American Institute for International Steel said in a statement. "Steel imports are up by more than a third this year because demand is increasing, which means business is thriving."

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor does not track whether shipments are imports or exports, since so much of the cargo that passes through is bound for other domestic ports on the Great Lakes or the Mississippi River.

NWI Times





Prepping for winter: Road salt coming from Venezuela, Morocco, Egypt

11/10 - Milwaukee, Wis. – The Port of Milwaukee is especially busy this time of year with hundreds of trucks loading up on salt and moving out — they’re gearing up for winter.

Just over 2 million tons of salt were brought into the Port of Milwaukee last year, it expects the same this year. Now, typically the salt comes from the Great Lakes salt mines. But this year, salt is coming from places much farther away.

“I think everyone, landscapers, municipalities and others they want to make sure they have enough salt. That’s why this ship is here today,” said Jeff Fleming, Port of Milwaukee.

A ship that’s holding 20,000 tons of salt. Ordinarily the salt used to melt ice form our roads and parking lots come from mines all around the Great Lakes.

“But this season at the Port of Milwaukee we’ve seen salt from Venezuela, from Morocco, and we’re expecting salt from Egypt,” said Fleming.

Matt Ryan, President of MCR, a landscaping and snow removal company, typically buys his salt from local companies but with last year’s harsh winter, supplies are down so Matt had to look elsewhere.

“Because their reserves were depleted last year, the only opportunity we had was to go overseas. And we were lucky enough to find two different areas where we could pull salt from,” said Matt.

One ship took several weeks to arrive, and it will take 7 days to unload.

“What we wanted to do is help the economy, stimulate the economy and get a bunch of the local guys salt that they may not have had otherwise,” said Matt.

MCR is bringing in a second ship with another 20,000 tons of salt. That ship is coming from Egypt. It is expected to arrive November 29th and will take 7 days to unload.





Port Reports - November 10

Cedarville, Mich. – Jake H. & Denny Dushane
On Saturday, the Arthur M Anderson arrived and began loading. Lewis J. Kuber is expected on Monday during the mid-afternoon. Joseph L. Block is expected Wednesday in the late afternoon.

Port Inland, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Wilfred Sykes loaded on Sunday. Also expected Sunday was the Joseph L. Block, due to get the dock after the Sykes clears in the late afternoon. Rounding out the schedule is the barge Huron Spirit, due to arrive on Tuesday during the early morning to load.

Calcite, Mich. – Jake H. & Denny Dushane
On Saturday, the Saginaw called on the south dock and began loading. Both Buffalo and the tug Defiance / barge Ashtabula were expected to load Sunday. Buffalo was due in during the morning for the North Dock, while the Defiance/Ashtabula were due to arrive in the evening for the South Dock. There are no vessels due on Monday.

Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Deshane
Great Republic loaded at Stoneport on Sunday and was expected to depart around 1:30 p.m. Also due Sunday was the Kaye E. Barker in the late morning, however they would be going to anchor to await the departure of the Great Republic. Due in on Monday in the early morning will be the Manistee.

Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
John J. Boland loaded at the CSX Coal Dock #4 machine on Sunday. Due next at CSX will be the John G. Munson on Monday during the late afternoon. James L. Kuber is due at CSX to load on Tuesday in the early morning. Algolake is due at the CSX to load Tuesday in the early morning. There is no activity scheduled at the Midwest Terminal Stone Dock. At the Torco Dock, the tug Joyce L. Van Enkevort and barge Great Lakes Trader were anchored due to water levels, however they did managed to get in and unload at the Torco Dock in the morning. Also due at Torco on Sunday was the tug Ken Boothe Sr. and barge Lakes Contender, arriving in the early evening to unload. Rounding out the schedule will be the tug Victory and barge James L. Kuber, due on Monday in the early afternoon. American Fortitude American Valor remain in long-term lay-up near the Lakefront Docks. Among the other vessels in port was the saltwater vessel Cinnamon of Cyprus registry at one of the grain elevators upriver loading cargo. The saltwater vessel Mandarin was at the Midwest Terminal Overseas Dock. Another salty, the Federal Shimanto of the Marshall Islands flag, was departing after loading a grain cargo at one of the grain elevators upriver. The tug Paul L. Luedtke was also in port.

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
Cuyahoga was in port at around noon Sunday. She departed around 5 p.m.





Flagship Niagara will be at Put-in-Bay for five years

11/10 - Put-In-Bay, Ohio –Those who are looking to get a glimpse of maritime history won’t have to travel far, as the U.S. Brig Niagara will remain in port in Put-in-Bay for the next five years.

Representatives from the Flagship Niagara League were in Toledo last Wednesday to announce two new partnerships, including a five-year port agreement with the Put-In-Bay Chamber of Commerce.

The league announced details on a new five-year deal with the Put-In-Bay Chamber of Commerce ensuring that U.S. Brig Niagara will be sailing into Put-In-Bay through 2020.

“We are looking forward to our new agreement with the Flagship Niagara League,” Ty Winchester, Put-In-Bay Chamber of Commerce president, said in a statement. “We’ve always considered Put-In-Bay the second home port for U.S. Brig Niagara.

“This gives Put-In-Bay the opportunity to celebrate our important shared maritime heritage manifested in U.S. Brig Niagara and her ongoing mission of education and sail training.”

The second partnership announced was between the Flagship Niagara League and The Maritime Academy of Toledo, which launches a scholarship fund for its Trainee Cadet program.

Shawn Waskiewicz, Flagship Niagara League executive director, presented the Maritime Academy of Toledo with a $10,000 check to help launch a $30,000 Scholarship fund for the school.

“The Flagship Niagara League is contributing the first $10,000 for this program and will be looking for matching funds, private donors, and corporate partners to raise the other $20,000,” Waskiewicz said.

The funds would allow 20 cadets to go through a two-week trainee program aboard the Niagara in the summer of 2015.

The News-Messenger





Lost Mariners Remembrance webcast tonight at 6 p.m.

11/10 - This annual program remembering lost mariners of the Great Lakes will be highlighted with a program about the Benjamin Noble, a Detroit-built and owned freighter that was chartered to a Cleveland firm. In the Spring of 1914, she was carrying rails out of Conneaut, Ohio and sank.

• Performance by Lee Murdock, Great Lakes balladeer

• Honor Guard escort of the memorial wreath to the Detroit River for receipt by the Honor Flotilla of Great Lakes vessels

• Lantern vigil at the Edmund Fitzgerald anchor

Click here to view this free webcast





Lookback #358 – Atlantic lost in Georgian Bay on Nov. 10, 1903

11/10 - The wooden steamer Atlantic was destroyed off the Pancake Islands, Georgian Bay, 111 years ago today. The ship, with passengers, freight and crew, had ridden out a fall storm en route to Parry Sound and had almost swamped.

Some coal oil spilled in the tumult and was soaked up by the cargo of hay. When this caught fire, the ship was doomed. All of board took to the lifeboats and all were saved.

Atlantic had been built at Owen Sound in 1880 and first sailed for the Great Northern Transit Co. as Manitoulin. It operated around Georgian Bay, through the North Channel and, in summer, ventured as far as Mackinac Island.

The ship caught fire due to an overturned lamp in the engine room on May 18, 1882. The burning ship was run aground near Manitowaning and abandoned. The damage was extensive and 11 lives were lost.

The hull was later refloated, taken to Owen Sound and rebuilt for continued service on the old route. It moved to the Northern Navigation Co., via merger, in 1889.

Today, the remains of the Atlantic rest on the bottom, off Spruce Island west of Parry Sound. The rudder and propeller are at a depth of about 10 feet while the rest of the hull angles into deeper water.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - November 10

On this day in 1892, whaleback barge 102 loaded 2,073 tons of iron ore at Superior consigned to Cleveland. This was the first shipment of Mesabi Range iron ore carried by Oglebay Norton.

On 10 November 1901, the ROBERT A. PACKER (wooden freighter, 209 foot, 921 tons, built in 1882, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was found by the wrecking tug RUMBLE eleven miles north of off De Tour, Michigan, ablaze and abandoned by her crew. Captain Isaac Zess of the RUMBLE fought the flames for four hours and then was helped by the THOMAS W. PALMER. The fire was speedily extinguished with both vessels pouring water on the flames and the PACKER was tied up at the dock in DeTour, Michigan.

On 10 November 1887, A. BOODY (wooden schooner, 137 foot, 287 gross tons, built in 1863, at Toledo, Ohio) struck the Port Austin reef on Lake Huron and was declared a total loss. However, after ten days of hard work, the BOODY was finally pulled off the reef.

The EDMUND FITZGERALD foundered on Lake Superior during a severe storm November 10, 1975, at approximately 7:10 p.m. about 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan, at position 47 0'N by 85 7'W in Canadian waters.

IMPERIAL ST CLAIR (Hull#57) was launched November 10, 1973 , by Port Weller Drydocks at St. Catharines, Ontario. Renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 1998, sold off the lakes, renamed c.) GENESIS EXPLORER in 2005.

The STEELTON sailed on her maiden voyage for Bethlehem Steel Corp. on November 10, 1943.

The ROBERT C. STANLEY, in her first season of operation, on November 10, 1943 during a Lake Superior storm, developed a significant crack across her spar deck and 12 to 14 feet down both sides of her hull. As the hull worked in the heavy seas, the crack widened to as much as three to four inches. The crew ran cables between the fore and aft winches that maintained a force sufficient to hold the hull together.

November 10, 1972, in the vicinity of the entrance to the East Outer Channel near Amherstburg, Ontario, the UNITED STATES GYPSUM collided with her towing tug MAINE and as a result her bow was punctured. The GYPSUM was beached to prevent sinking.

Pittsburgh Steamship's WILLIAM A. IRVIN (Hull#811) was launched November 10, 1937, at Lorain, Ohio. The IRVIN serves as a museum ship in Duluth, Minnesota since 1986.

November 10, 1892, the carferry ANN ARBOR NO 1 left the shipyard in Toledo, Ohio, bound for Frankfort on her maiden voyage. In 1895, the first major accident caused by cars coming free on the car deck of a rail ferry happened when the ANN ARBOR NO 1, was on an eastbound voyage. Approaching Frankfort in a northwest gale, she rolled so violently that many of the car fastenings broke and the cargo began to move about on the car deck. None of the early rear-loading car ferries were equipped with a sea gate to protect the stern from the seas, and seven cars of flour and butter went off the deck of the NO 1 into the lake. Captain Charles Moody resigned from the Ann Arbor as a result of this incident and returned to the Pere Marquette and Goodrich lines.

ATLANTIC (formerly MANITOULIN, wooden propeller passenger/package freight, 147 foot, 683 gross tons, built in 1880, at Owen Sound, Ontario) was bound for Byng Inlet with lumber camp supplies when she was caught in a storm and grounded in the lee of Pancake Island in Georgian Bay. Her cargo and aft cabin were thrown overboard to lighten her, but she caught fire and was destroyed. Her passengers and crew took to her boats and survived.

On 10 November 1856, ST JOSEPH (wooden propeller steam barge, 170 foot, 460 tons, built in 1846, at Buffalo, New York) stranded and was wrecked near Fairport, Ohio. No lives were lost.

November 10, 1911 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 was back in service after damaging several plates in October. The tanker MARIA DESGAGNES struck bottom in the St. Lawrence Seaway on 10 November 1999. After temporary repairs were made, the vessel was cleared to proceed to Hamilton, Ontario, to discharge its cargo of jet fuel. A survey of the seaway was completed with no indications as to what caused the vessel to ground.

On 10 November 1887, BLAZING STAR (wooden schooner, 137 foot, 265 tons, built in 1873, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was sailing on Lake Michigan in fine weather with a load of lumber. However, she grounded on Fisherman Shoal near Washington Island, Wisconsin even though the wreck of the steamer I N FOSTER was in full view on that reef. The captain was unable to locate a tug to pull the BLAZING STAR off and later she broke up in heavy weather. No lives were lost.

Below is a first hand account of the Storm of 1913, from the journal of John Mc Laughlin transcribed by his great grandson Hugh Mc Nichol. John was working on an unknown vessel during the Storm of 1913. The boat was captained by John Mc Alpine and Harry Roberts as Chief Engineer. The boat was loading iron ore in Escanaba when the storm started on November 8th.

Monday, November 10, 1913: I got up at 12 a.m. and went on watch. We were laying at anchor. It was blowing a living gale and kept it up. They hove up the anchor near 10 o'clock but monkeyed around until after dinner. We got under way. We passed the Light Ship about 3, and White Shoal at 5:15.

More entries from the Storm of 1913 tomorrow.

1900: The iron package freighter ARABIAN went aground 8 miles west of Whitefish Point, Lake Superior due to heavy weather. The ship was salvaged with only minor damage. It was later part of the Canada Steamship Lines fleet and was broken up about 1939.

1903: The passenger and freight steamer ATLANTIC was destroyed by a fire on Georgian Bay enroute to Parry Sound. The blaze apparently started in the cargo of hay that had become soaked with coal oil while riding out a late fall storm off Spruce Island west of its destination.

1922: Fleetmates GLENMAVIS and GLENCLOVA were in a collision at Montreal. Both were repaired and remained as part of the Great Lakes fleet for years as ACADIAN and GEORGE HINDMAN (ii) respectively. 1936: SIR WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN was upbound in Lake Huron and ran into a fall storm that damaged 62 automobiles as part of the deckload of new Packard & Chrysler cars.

1968: MANTADOC and FRANCOIS L.D. collided in heavy fog on the Seaway and sustained considerable bow damage. Both were repaired and the former still sails as d) MANITOBA while the latter was scrapped at Alang, India, as b) CINTA in 1987.

1989: ELPIS, Freedom Class deep sea freighter, first came through the Seaway in 1978. It raised considerable ire after stranding on a coral reef off Key Largo, FL while carrying sugar to Mexico. When it was refloated on November 12, the ship was seized by U.S. Marshals until assessment of the damage to the delicate coral reef could be made. The ship was later released and survived further trading until being scrapped at Alang, India, as c) CITY OF HOUSTON, in 2001.

[yachtsmanwilly]

"Our rails are awash but we are holding our own..."


Live





Monday marked 39 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior

11/11 - Cleveland, Ohio – It was Nov. 10, 1975, when the Edmund Fitzgerald disappeared in the waters of Lake Superior during a severe storm, taking 29 lives with it.

After nearly 40 years the story of the ship continues to intrigue, with some saying its legend is second only to the Titanic. Several books have been written about it and it famously was memorialized by Gordon Lightfoot's 1976 hit "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

When the ship was christened on June 8, 1958, it was the largest freighter on the Great Lakes at 729 feet long. It was named after Edmund Fitzgerald, president of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.

It's final journey began at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, 1975, in Superior, Wisconsin, according to the website for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. It was loaded with more than 26,000 tons of iron-ore pellets and destined for Zug Island near Detroit.

Captain Ernest M. McSorley was aware of building storms on the lake and decided to take a northerly course along Lake Superior so the ship would be protected by highlands on the Canadian shore.

Gale warnings were issued at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9 and it was upgraded to a storm warning during the early morning hours of Nov. 10. Winds were gusting to 50 knots and seas were at 12 to 16 feet, according to the GLSM website.

By 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 10, McSorley radioed Capt. Bernie Cooper of the Arthur M. Anderson, which was 17 miles behind the Fitzgerald, saying the ship was listing.

The conditions worsened, with a steady wind of 58 knots and gusts up to 70 knots and seas of 18 to 25 feet. The last communication with the Fitzgerald came at 7:10 p.m. when McSorley radioed to a crewmember on the Anderson "We are holding our own."

The ship sank about 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan, where the Shipwreck Museum is located. There are several theories about how the ship sank, including rogue waves, structural failure, shoaling or the flooding of the cargo hold.

The Shipwreck Museum held a service at 7 p.m. Monday at Whitefish Point to honor the ship's crew. The bell from the ship, which was recovered in 1995, was rung 29 times during a "Call to the Last Watch Ceremony.

Cleveland.com

The gales of November: What are they and why in Michigan?

11/11 - Grand Rapids, Mich. – Monday was the 39th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The song written by Gordon Lightfoot talks about the "gales of November."

What are the gales of November, and why do they happen in Michigan and on the Great Lakes?

A gale is a sustained wind between 39 mph and 54 mph. Gales are usually caused by the air pressure difference between a strong low-pressure system and a strong, cold high-pressure system. Wind is caused by air pressure differences over a certain distance. The greater the air pressure difference, the higher the winds will be.

The Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a very strong low-pressure system that moved out of Wisconsin and tracked over Lake Superior. The top graphic shows the surface map at 7 a.m. November 10, 1975. The center of the storm had a very low air pressure of 29.02". This would be the same air pressure as a category one hurricane. The storm track from Wisconsin across Lake Superior and then northeast produced the deadly wind conditions. In front of the storm, southeast winds blew. As the storm passed to the northeast, winds switched to blowing out of the northwest. That strong northwest wind built massive waves as the water was pushed east. The Edmund Fitzgerald sunk in the southeastern part of Lake Superior, where the waves would be the biggest on a northwest wind.

Imagine being on the lake with a decent chop, then a switch in the winds, a big increase in wind, and waves building behind you. That's what the Edmund Fitzgerald faced.

November is a very common month for long-lasting wind storms in Michigan and the Great Lakes. Why? The Great Lakes are relatively warm and the cold air in Canada builds up and moves into Michigan from the north. At the same time, the storm track that has been in Canada for the summer usually drops southward into Michigan.

So powerful low-pressure systems track across the northern U.S. and move to the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes strengthen those storms in November. As the storm approaches, it sucks right to one of the Great Lakes, where the water is warmer, and the air is light and rising over the lake surface. So the Great Lakes have their own "stationary low pressure" over the lakes in November. When the storm hits the lakes, the two factors for low pressure combine, and the large-scale storm intensifies. A storm that produced 40 mph gusts out in the Plains then produces 60 mph gusts in Michigan and over the Great Lakes.

Prior to November the storm centers aren't as strong, and the temperature difference between the lake surface and the air above isn't that big. By December, the lake water has started to cool down considerably, and the lake low-pressure effect isn't as strong.

So November is the month when gales are common on the Great Lakes. In fact, think back to our latest two storm systems, one on Halloween, and the second last week. Both of those storms produced high winds, and waves high enough for surfing.

If the Edmund Fitzgerald were crossing Lake Superior in the next few days, it would encounter a weaker version of the same weather it actually faced in 1975. It's that storm that could produce a Top 10 snowfall in Marquette over the next few days.

Now you may think that the forecast wasn't good back in 1975. Actually the path of the Edmund Fitzgerald was under a gale watch before their voyage. So the nasty weather wasn't a surprise. It was just a surprise at how severe the gale.



Today in Great Lakes History - November 11

The Port of Huron, Ohio received its first grain boat in seven years when Westdale Shipping's AVONDALE arrived at the Pillsbury Elevator on November 11, 1971, to load 200,000 bushels of soybeans for Toronto, Ontario.

On 11 November 1883, NEMESIS (2-mast wooden schooner, 74 foot, 82 gross tons, built in 1868, at Goderich, Ontario) was wrecked in a terrific storm that some called a hurricane. She went ashore near Bayfield, Ontario, on Lake Huron. She may have been recovered since her registration was not closed until 1907. In 1876, this little schooner rescued all but one of the crew from the sinking freighter NEW YORK.

The Armistice Day Storm of November 11, 1940, was one of the worst storms in the recorded history of Lake Michigan. In all, the storm claimed 5 vessels, and 66 lives. The storm hit late Monday afternoon, November 11th, with winds of hurricane proportions. The winds struck suddenly from the southwest at about 2:30 p.m. and were accompanied by drenching rain, which later changed to snow. The winds reached peak velocities of 75 miles per hour, the highest in local maritime history.

Some of the vessels affected were: CITY OF FLINT 32: Beached at Ludington, no damage. Jens Vevang, relief captain, in command. Her regular captain, Charles Robertson, was on shore leave. Also: PERE MARQUETTE 21: Blown into a piling at Ludington, no damage, captained by Arthur Altschwager. She had 5 passengers aboard. CITY OF SAGINAW 31: Arrived Milwaukee 6 hours late with over a foot of water in her hull. The wireless aerial was missing and her seagate was smashed by the waves. She was captained by Ed Cronberg. Ann Arbor carferry WABASH: A railcar broke loose from its moorings on her car deck and rolled over, nearly crushing a crewman. The steamer NOVADOC: Ran aground at Juniper Beach, South of Pentwater, Michigan. Two crewman (cooks) drowned when the ship broke in half. Seventeen crewman, found huddled in the pilothouse, were rescued by Captain Clyde Cross and his 2 crewman, Gustave Fisher and Joe Fontane of the fishing tug THREE BROTHERS. CONNEAUT of 1916, ran hard aground on Lansing Shoal near Manistique, Michigan, on Lake Michigan. She reportedly had lost her propeller and rudder. Two days later she was pulled off. The SINALOA had taken on a load of sand near Green Island and was heading for Chicago through Death's Door on Wisconsin's Door Peninsula when the November 11th Armistice Day storm of 1940, struck in upper Lake Michigan. During the storm the SINALOA lost her rudder. The anchor was dropped but her anchor cable parted. In this helpless condition she ran aground at Sac Bay on Michigan's Garden Peninsula. Fortunately the stricken vessel was close to shore where the Coast Guard was able to rescue the entire crew. Declared a constructive total loss, her owner collected the insurance and forfeited the vessel to the Roen Salvage Co.

ANNA C MINCH: Sank South of Pentwater with a loss of 24 lives.

WILLIAM B DAVOCK: of the Interlake fleet, Capt. Charles W. Allen, sank in 215 of water off Pentwater, Michigan. There were no survivors among the crew of 33.

The fishing tugs INDIAN and RICHARD H: Lost with all hands off South Haven, Michigan.

On 11 November 1872, the schooner WILLIS collided with the bark ELIZABETH JONES on Lake Erie and sank in a few minutes. The crew was saved.

On 11 November 1936, J. OSWALD BOYD (steel propeller fuel tanker, 244 foot, 1,806 gross tons, built in 1913, in Scotland) was carrying 900,000 gallons of gasoline when she stranded on Simmons Reef on the north side of Beaver Island. The U.S. Coast Guard from Beaver Island rescued the entire crew of 20.

On 11 November 1890, BRUNO (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 136 foot. 475 gross tons, built in 1863, at Montreal) was carrying coal to Cleveland with the schooner LOUISA in tow when she struck Magnetic Reef, south of Cockburn Island in Georgian Bay and sank in rough weather. No lives were lost.

On 11 November 1835, the 2-mast wooden schooner COMET was carrying iron and ashes on Lake Erie when she foundered in a gale, one mile northwest of Dunkirk, New York. Just her topmasts protruded from the water. All seven on board lost their lives, including a passenger who was a college student bound for Vermont.

In a storm on the night of 11 November 1874, The schooner LA PETITE (3-mast wooden schooner, 119 foot, 172 gross tons, built 1866, J. Ketchum, Huron, Ohio) was on Lake Michigan carrying a cargo of wheat and corn from Chicago when she sprang a bad leak and tried first to reach Ludington, then Manistee. Before reaching safety, she grounded off Big Point au Sable, eight miles from land, in eight feet of water. Previous to striking, the vessel had lost her bowsprit and foremast. After she struck, her main and mizzenmasts went by the board, and the schooner began to break up rapidly. The crew clung to the forecastle deck, and when that washed away, four men were drowned. Captain O. B. Wood had his arms broken by the falling off a square-sail yard. When he fell into the water, the ship's dog jumped in and kept him afloat until they were rescued by the crew of the steam barge CHARLES REITZ. Of the 10 crewmen, six were saved. The LA PETITE was salvaged and repaired and lasted until 1903, when she was lost in another storm.

On 11 Nov 1999, the Maltese flag bulk carrier ALCOR was examined by personnel from Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, a salvage company and the vessel's owners in hopes of forming a plan to save the vessel. She ran aground on a sand bar off the eastern tip of d'Orleans Island on the St. Lawrence River two days earlier. This vessel did not visit Great Lakes ports under the name ALCOR, but she did so under her two previous names, firstly as PATRICIA V and then as the Soviet flag MEKHANIK DREN. The Groupe Desgagnes finally refloated the ALCOR on 05 Dec 1999, after part of the cargo of clinker had been removed. The ship was then towed to Quebec City. Later, it was reported that Groupe Desgagnes purchased the ALCOR from its Greek owners.

Below is a first hand account of the Storm of 1913, from the journal of John Mc Laughlin transcribed by his great grandson Hugh McNichol. John was working on an unknown vessel during the Storm of 1913. The boat was captained by John McAlpine and Harry Roberts as Chief Engineer. The boat was loading iron ore in Escanaba when the storm started on November 8th.

Tuesday, November 11, 1913: I got up at 12 a.m. and went on watch. We were above Presque Isle. It is still blowing hard and quite a sea running. Presque Isle at 1:45 a.m., Thunder Bay Island at 4:30 a.m., Harbor Beach at 1:00 p.m., we are about in the River at 7:05 p.m. It is fine tonight, wind gone down.

1940: The famous Armistice Day storm claims the ANNA C. MINCH, WILLIAM B. DAVOCK and NOVADOC (ii), on Lake Michigan and leaves CITY OF FLINT 32 and SINALOA aground and damaged.

1946: The former Canada Steamship lines bulk canaller LANARK was scuttled off the coast of Ireland with a load of World War Two bombs.

1977: The 380-foot, 8-inch long West German freighter GLORIA made 4 visits to the Great Lakes in 1959-1960. It went aground on the Adriatic at Sestrice Island as d) ARISTOTELES. While the 25-year old hull was refloated, it was declared a total loss and towed to Split, Yugoslavia, for scrapping.

1980: The DINIE S. suffered an engineroom fire at Palermo, Italy and became a total loss. The ship had visited the Seaway as a) CATHERINE SARTORI (1959-1967) and b) CURSA (1967) and was sailing under a seventh name. It was scrapped at Palermo in 1985

1980: CITY OF LICHFIELD stranded near Antalya, Turkey, while leaving the anchorage in heavy weather as c) CITY OF LEEDS. The ship was refloated but never sailed again and was eventually scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey, in 1984. The ship had visited the Great Lakes in 1964.

1995: JAMES NORRIS was loading stone at Colborne, ON when the wind changed leaving the hull exposed to the gale. The ship was repeatedly pounded against the dock until it settled on the bottom. Subsequent hull repairs at Port Weller Dry Docks resulted in the port side being all welded while the starboard remained riveted.

1995: The Cuban freighter AREITO had a mechanical problem in the St. Lambert Lock and had to be towed back to Montreal for repairs. This SD-14 class vessel was scrapped at Alang, India, as e) DUNLIN in 2001.


Lookback #359 – Anna C. Minch lost in Lake Michigan on Nov. 11, 1940

The Anna C. Minch was lost with all hands on Lake Michigan. It went down 74 years ago today in what became known as “The Armistice Day Storm.”

The vessel was loaded with screenings and on a voyage from Fort William, Ont., to Chicago when it disappeared off Pentwater, Michigan. Twenty-five sailors lost their lives.

The Anna C. Minch was built at Cleveland in 1903. The ship had been part of the Minch fleet when they joined in the formation of the Kinsman Transit Co. in 1905. The 400-foot-long bulk carrier was steam powered and used to carry ore, grain and coal.

The ship came to Canada under the Western Navigation Co. in 1926 and served the interests of the James Murphy Coal Co. Management moved under the banner of Scott Misener in 1933 and this was the first large upper laker in that company's service. Misener added cargoes of pulpwood to the ship's list of trades.

Anna C. Minch suffered a grounding at Vidal Shoal, above the Soo Locks, on April 26, 1933, while upbound. But the ship was released and repaired for further service.

There was some speculation that the Anna C. Minch was lost in a collision with the William B. Davock in the devastating storm of Nov. 11, 1940. But the hulls of both ships have been found and there is no evidence of collision damage between the two ships. The remains of the Anna C. Minch rest on the bottom of Lake Michigan in about 40 feet of water