Today in Great Lakes History

[Avenger]

It's boatnerd's fault.

[yachtsmanwilly]

So... you don't know the boss over there??? ws


Port Reports - November 30

Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Daniel Lindner
Wilfred Sykes made a quick stop for minor repairs on Thanksgiving, arriving in the morning and departing in the late afternoon. On Saturday morning, CSL Laurentien arrived in Sturgeon Bay, where it will be repowered during the coming winter.

Stoneport, Mich. – Denny Dushane
Lewis J. Kuber was expected to arrive on Saturday during the late evening to load. Due on Sunday is the Manistee, arriving in the late afternoon. Due to arrive on Monday in the late afternoon is the Pathfinder.

Calcite, Mich. – Denny Dushane
There are no vessels scheduled to load from Saturday-Monday at Calcite. The next vessel will be the John G. Munson due on Tuesday in the early morning for the North Dock. There is nothing scheduled at Calcite from Wednesday-Thursday. Rounding out the schedule will be the Lakes Contender, arriving on Friday, December 5, during the late evening for the North Dock.

Toledo, Ohio – Denny Dushane
Algosoo is due at the CSX Coal Dock to load on Sunday during the early morning. Cason J. Callaway is also due at CSX on Sunday in the early morning. Manitowoc is due at CSX on Sunday in the early evening. Due on Monday at CSX will be the John J. Boland and the Manitowoc, both in the early evening. There is nothing scheduled at the Midwest Terminal Stone Dock. Due at the Torco Dock to unload iron ore will be the Manitowoc on Sunday in the early afternoon. Due on Monday will be the John J. Boland and the H. Lee White at Torco. The Boland arrives first in the late morning, followed by the H. Lee White in the late evening. Vessels in port include the tug Paul L. Luedtke, saltwater vessel Iryda of Cyprus registry at the Midwest Terminal Overseas Dock and the tug Mary E. Hannah.

Welland Canal – Ron Beaupre
The American Fortitude scrap tow cleared the Port Weller piers about 8 p.m. Saturday.

Erie, Pa. – Jeffrey Benson
The barge Ashtabula and her tug Defiance were in Erie unloading sand at the Carmuse Dock Saturday.

Prescott, Ont. – Joanne N. Crack
Late Thursday night the downbound Harbour Fountain and Algoma Olympic sailed through. Early Saturday morning both upbound, the Birchglen and Jana Desgagnes cleared town.

Friday came the downbound Labrador at 6:15am headed for Quebec City, QC., Federal Oshimo at 6:51am for Sorel, QC., and Nickelena tug with BMI 209 barge at 8:42am for Valleyfield, QC. The upbound Sea Racer sailed through at 9:11am headed to Milwaukee, the downbound Algomarine at 9:48am headed into the Port of Johnstown to unload salt from Goderich, Ont. This ship is due to depart the Port of Johnstown at Saturday evening. Algoma Guardian headed downbound at 11:43am for Trois-Riviere, QC.

The Vigilant I tug pulled into Prescott, Ont. for refueling at 10:14am and departed, continuing upbound for Hamilton, Ont. at 1:42pm. Pacific Huron sailed through upbound at 4:06pm

Expected Friday evening were the upbounds Atlantic Erie to South Chicago, Pineglen to Thunder Bay, Ont., Federal Elbe to Hamilton, Ont., Federal Miramichi to Cleveland, Ohio, and downbound, the Strandja to Falmouth, Jamaica, Victoriaborg for Montréal, QC., and Federal Mackinac to Montréal, QC.

Early hours Sunday morning expected are the downbound Sedna Desgagnes to Algeria, upbound Fuldaborg to USA, downbound Baie Comeau to Quebec City, QC., the upbound Algoma Equinox to Hamilton, Ont., and Esta Desgagnes heading up to Oakville, Ont.

Due downbound through Prescott, Ont. early Sunday morning, the 62-year-old American Fortitude heads for scrapping in Brownsville, Texas. The American Steamship Co. self-unloader departed Toledo, Ohio under tow of the tug Evans McKeil on Nov. 26, 2014 with the tug Jarrett M assisting. The ship, launched 19 November 1952, has sat idle since tying up on Nov. 11, 2008.





Lookback #378 – D.M. Clemson lost with all hands on Nov. 30, 1908

The first D.M. Clemson joined the Provident Steamship Co. following construction at Superior, Wis. The ship was launched on May 20, 1903, and the 468-foot-long steamer set a record loading 8,000 tons of coal, delivered by 230 rail cars, at Toledo on July 22, 1904.

The vessel barely survived a Lake Superior storm in September 1904 arriving at Two Harbors with a significant list, two hatch covers washed away and the railings gone in a battle with the elements.

The fall of 1908 did not go well. The ship hit the pier at Ashtabula on Oct. 20 and went aground off Point Pelee three days later when smoke from a fire caused a visibility problem.

Following two more trips with ore from Duluth and Two Harbors, D.M. Clemson was lost in Lake Superior while carrying a cargo of coal from Lorain to Superior.

Fifty mile an hour winds mixed with snow confronted the D.M. Clemson after it departed the Soo Locks 106 years ago today. Somewhere out on Lake Superior the ship went down and no one survived. It is assumed that the end came suddenly as the lifeboats were not launched.

Some believe that the hull might have broken in two but it is also possible that the hatch covers failed. Only two bodies were ever recovered but there was quite a field of wreckage. The loss was valued at $300,000.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - November 30

On 30 November 1896, CITY OF KALAMAZOO (wooden propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 162 foot, 728 gross tons, built in 1892, at South Haven, Michigan) burned at her lay-up dock at South Haven, Michigan, with the loss of four lives. She was rebuilt and lasted until 1911, when she burned again.

On November 30, 1910, ATHABASCA (steel propeller passenger steamer, 263 foot, 1,774 gross tons, built in 1883, in Scotland) collided with the tug GENERAL near Lime Island in the St. Mary's River. As a result of the collision, the GENERAL sank. She was later recovered and rebuilt as a bulk freighter and lasted until she was broken up in 1948.

On 30 November 1934, HENRY CORT (steel propeller whaleback crane vessel, 320 foot, 2,394 gross tons, built in 1892, at W. Superior, Wisconsin as PILLSBURY) was driven onto the north pier at Muskegon, Michigan, in a storm. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter ESCANABA rescued her crew, but one Coast Guardsman lost his life. The vessel settled in shallow water and then broke in half. Her remains were scrapped the following year.

CANADIAN PIONEER suffered a major engine room fire on 30 Nov 1987, at Nanticoke, Ontario.

On November 30, 1981, A.H. FERBERT was laid up for the last time at the Hallett Dock #5, Duluth, Minnesota. The PERE MARQUETTE 22 passed down the Welland Canal on November 30, 1973 in tow of the tugs JOHN PURVES and YVON SIMARD en route to Sorel, Quebec, where she was cut down to a barge for off-Lakes use.

On 30 Nov 1967, the CITY OF FLINT 32 was laid up, never to run again.

On 30 Nov 1900, ALMERON THOMAS (2-mast wooden schooner, 50 foot, 35 gross tons, built in 1891, at Bay City, Michigan) was carrying gravel in a storm on Lake Huron when she sprang a leak and ran for the beach. She struck bottom and then capsized. She broke up in twenty feet of water near Point Lookout in Saginaw Bay. No lives were lost.

The schooner S.J. HOLLY came into the harbor at Oswego, New York, on 30 November 1867, after a hard crossing of Lake Ontario. The previous day she left the Welland Canal and encountered a growing gale. Capt. Oscar Haynes sought calm water along the north shore, but the heavy seas and freezing winds made sailing perilous. The ropes and chains froze stiff and the schooner was almost unmanageable. The only canvas out was a two-reef foresail and it was frozen in place. With great skill, the skipper managed to limp into port, having lost the yawl and sustained serious damage to the cargo. Fortunately no lives were lost.

1905: The steel consort barge MADEIRA stranded at Split Rock, while under tow of the WILLIAM EDENBORN, broke in two and became a total loss.

1908: D.M. CLEMSON (i) disappeared on Lake Superior while upbound with a cargo of coal from Lorain to Superior. All 24 on board were lost and only 2 bodies were ever found.

1911: Three lives were lost when the wooden steamer RALEIGH sank off Port Colborne. The crew took to the yawl boats but these capsized. Spectators on shore helped pull the sailors to safety.

1922: MAPLEHURST foundered near the West Portage entry Lake Superior while upbound with coal. The captain sought shelter from a storm but the engine failed and the anchors did not hold. There were 11 casualties and the ship was a total loss.

1924: MAPLEDAWN was wrecked at Christian Island, Georgian Bay while downbound with barley. The hull was pounded and could only be salvaged in pieces for scrap about 1942.

1926: CITY OF BANGOR stranded on Keweenaw Point in a blizzard with zero visibility. The ship fell into the trough and was carried ashore. It could not be salvaged and the hull was cut up for scrap during World War II.

1943: RIVERTON, aground for two weeks at Lottie Wolf Shoal, Georgian Bay, was released and taken to Collingwood for repairs. It resumed sailing in 1944 as MOHAWK DEER.

1945: OUTARDE (i) sank at the Consul-Hall Coal Dock, Clayton, NY after being repeatedly pounded against the structure in a wild storm and holed by an underwater piece of steel. The ship was finally refloated on April 18, 1946.

1961: ALGOWAY (i) was damaged while shifting at Port Arthur when it hit a discarded underwater oxygen tank.

1987: A fire aboard the ULS self-unloader CANADIAN PIONEER at Nanticoke damaged the wiring under the control panel. The ship went to the Welland Dock for repairs and then left the Seaway for Sorel where it was reflagged Vanuatu and renamed b) PIONEER.

1997: The tug CAROLYN JO suffered a fire in the engine room off Snake Island, Lake Ontario, and had to be towed to Kingston. The ship is still sailing as d) SEAHOUND.

[Avenger]

Did they fix it? The articles were the same this morning.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Yeah... sometimes they TARD... like in Ferguson. Not much Mississippi river news ya know??? ws

[yachtsmanwilly]

Today in Great Lakes History - December 1

In 1940, the Columbia Transportation steamer CARROLLTON laid up in the Cuyahoga River with a storage load of 75,000 bushels of potatoes.

On 01 December 1884, the N BOUTIN (wooden propeller tug, 68 foot, 46 gross tons, built in 1882, at Buffalo, New York) sank in ten feet of water near Washburn, Wisconsin. Newspaper reports stated that she was leaking badly and was run toward shore to beach her but no details are given regarding the cause of the leak. She was recovered and repaired.

On December 1, 1974, the Canadian motor vessel JENNIFER foundered on Lake Michigan in a storm. Her steel cargo apparently shifted and she foundered 24 miles southwest of Charlevoix, Michigan. The JENNIFER went to the bottom in water too deep for any salvage attempt.

FRED G. HARTWELL, the last boat built for the Franklin Steamship Co., was delivered to her owners on December 1, 1922, but her maiden voyage didn't occur until early 1923, because of unfavorable weather conditions.

The SASKATOON's ownership was transferred to the Canada Steamship Lines Ltd., Montreal, on December 1, 1913, when the company was formed and all six vessels of the Merchants Mutual Line were absorbed by CSL in 1914.

HUDSON TRANSPORT was put up for sale by Marine Salvage in December 1982.

On 1 December 1875, BRIDGEWATER (3-mast wooden schooner, 706 tons, built in 1866, at Buffalo, New York, as a bark) grounded on Waugoshance Point in the Straits of Mackinac. She was released fairly quickly and then was towed to Buffalo, New York, for repairs. In Buffalo, she was gutted by fire. In 1880-82, the propeller KEYSTONE was built on her hull.

In 1909, the MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO 2 sank on Lake Erie, 31 lives were lost.

December 1, 1985 - SPARTAN broke loose from her moorings at Ludington in a storm and ended up near Buttersville Island. She was pulled off on December 5, by the Canonie tugs SOUTH HAVEN and MUSKEGON with the help of the CITY OF MIDLAND 41. It took about 10 hours.

On 1 December 1875, the Port Huron Times reported: "The schooner MARY E. PEREW went ashore in the Straits of Mackinac and by the brave efforts of the people on shore, her crew was rescued from perishing in the cold. Her decks were completely covered with ice and the seas were breaking over her. The vessel has a large hole in her bottom made by a rock that came through her. She will prove a total loss." On 7 December 1875, that newspaper reported that MARY E. PEREW had been raised by a wrecker and would be repaired.

On 1 December 1882, DAVID M. FOSTER (wooden 3-mast schooner, 121 foot, 251 tons, built in 1863, at Port Burwell, Ontario as a bark) was carrying lumber from Toronto to Oswego, New York, in a storm. She was picked up by a harbor tug outside of Oswego for a tow into the harbor, but the towline broke. The FOSTER went bows-on into the breakwater. She was holed and sank. No lives were lost. Her loss was valued at $3,300.

On 01 December 1934, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter ESCANABA (WPG 64) (165 foot, 718 gross tons, built in 1932, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was involved in the rescue of the crew of the whaleback HENRY CORT off the piers at Muskegon, Michigan. Also that winter, she delivered food to the residents of Beaver Island, who were isolated due to the bad weather.

SULLIVAN BROTHERS (steel straight-deck bulk freighter, 430 foot, 4897 gross tons, built in 1901, at Chicago, Illinois as FREDERICK B. WELLS) grounded at Vidal Shoal on Tuesday evening, 01 Dec 1953. She was loaded with grain and rested on solid rock. She was recovered.

1934: The whaleback steamer HENRY CORT hit the north pier at Muskegon, MI and was wrecked. All on board were saved but one rescuer perished when the U.S.C.G. surfboat overturned. HENRY CORT was cut up for scrap on location during World War Two.

1961: The Canada Steamship Lines bulk canaller ELGIN struck the Charelvoix Bridge on the Lachine Canal when the structure did not open properly due to a faulty bridge mechanism. The waterway was closed for several days but the ship was not damaged.

1961: ARIE H., a Liberian flagged Liberty ship, went aground near the Snell Lock but was refloated and, the following day, departed the Seaway as the last oceangoing ship of the season.


Port Reports - December 1

Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W
Canadian Navigator is on her way to Buffalo. At 9 am Sunday she was by Point Peele eastbound with an ETA of Monday morning. Rebecca Lynn - A-397 was eastbound out of Cleveland for Tonawanda with an ETA of Monday morning as well.

Prescott, Ont. – Joanne N. Crack
Saturday evening and overnight upbound traffic included Atlantic Erie to South Chicago, Pineglen to Thunder Bay, Federal Elbe to Hamilton, Federal Miramichi to Cleveland. Downbounders included Strandja to Falmouth, Jamaica, Victoriaborg for Montréal, and upbound Algomarine out of Johnstown to Nanticoke.

Early Sunday morning the upbound Sedna Desgagnes sailed through, along with the upbound Fuldaborg and downbound Baie Comeau, headed to Quebec City.

Upbound Sunday were Algoma Equinox at 6:29am to Hamilton, downbound Federal Mackinac at 7:55am and downbound Baie St. Paul at 10:08am both to Montreal. The Federal Mackinac will continue on to Vera Cruz, Mexico. Esta Desgagnes came up through at 11:22am for Oakville, and the Sarah Desgagnes to Clarkson at 1:15pm.

Expected through Sunday night are the upbound Ojibway, Catherine Desgagnes to Toledo, Maria Desgagnes to Hamilton, and the downbound Cedarglen to Baie Comeau and Olza to Montreal.

Expected early Monday are the downbound CSL Niagara to Baie Comeau, Federal Hudson to Quebec City and Eeborg for Montreal. The upbound Federal Schelde to Hamilton, Mapleglen to Sarnia, and Isa to Sault St. Marie are also expected to through.

Due through Prescott, Ont. early Monday is the 62-year-old American Fortitude, heading for scrapping in Brownsville, Texas. The American Steamship Co. self-unloader departed Toledo, Ohio under tow of the tug Evans McKeil on Nov. 26, 2014 with the tug Jarrett M assisting. The ship, launched 19 November 1952 has sat idle since tying up on Nov. 11, 2008.





Salties with Seaway ties sold for scrap

12/1 - Marine News, the monthly journal of the World Ship Society, reports the following ships with Great Lakes connections going for scrap in the December 2014 issue.

Demolitions: Alma Agri, a chemical/products tanker that dates from 1995, was sold to Indian shipbreakers and arrived at Alang on Aug. 6, 2014. Dismantling began three days later by the Shree Ram Group Inc. The vessel had been a Seaway trader in 2011 as e) Chem Pollux and had seven names in its 19 years of trading.

Eltem arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, on Sept. 4, 2013. It was built in 1970 and visited the Great Lakes for the first time as a) Brinknes in 1971 and returned as c) Fossnes in 1977 and d) Akranes in 1981. The latter will be remembered for a grounding near Wellesley Island, in the St. Lawrence on Dec. 12, 1984. It had been sailing under as g) Eltem since 2004. Over the years it had been registered in Germany, Liberia, Norway, Iceland, Cyprus, Georgia, Comoros and Panama.

He Feng was sold to Chinese shipbreakers and arrived at Jingjiang, Jiangsu, on Aug. 11, 2013, for dismantling by Jingjiang Taihe Shipbreaking Co. The SD-14 was built as a) Good Faith by Austin & Pickersgill at Southwick, UK in 1979 and first came through the Seaway in 1987. It has been sailing under Panamanian registry as g) He Feng since 2008.

The chemical tanker Napht Al Yemen 19 was built in 1985 and initially operated under the flag of the U.S.S.R. as a) Bolshevik Kamo. It was registered in Malta as b) Kobuleti in 1993 and brought jet fuel to Hamilton on its first trip inland in June 1995 before loading tallow at Detroit. The vessel was back as d) Alioth Star in 2002 and, as recently as August 2005, made a trip to Oakville. It was sold and registered in Panama as e) Napht Al Yemen 19 later in 2005 and arrived at Gadani Beach as such. Scrapping got underway on Aug. 20, 2014.

Serenade first came through the Seaway in 1972, the year it was built, as a) Otto Porr. The vessel was sailing as b) Negah when it returned in 1980, as c) Danae for an inland visit in 1985 and as e) Serenade when it returned with aluminum for Chicago in 1994. It departed with 2,000 tons of grain for Ireland. The ship was back in 1996 calling at Detroit, Duluth and Thunder Bay. It was registered in Italy when it arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, for scrapping on July 23, 2014, and work got underway on August 11.

Spirit arrived at Chittagong, Bangladesh, for dismantling on Aug. 12, 2014. This cargo carrier had come through the Seaway with sugar for Toronto on Dec. 8, 1990, as b) Albonica. The 25-year-old vessel was sailing under a seventh name of Spirit when it reached the scrapyard.

Topaz II arrived at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, on Aug. 16, 2014, and scrapping got underway right away. The ship had been built at Nagoya, Japan, as a) Aran in 1980 and came through the Seaway for the first time in 1982. As c) Sea Patron, the vessel lost steering in the Bosporus on Feb. 17, 2003, and rammed a floating restaurant, went aground and damaged a parked car while carrying 15,000 tons of fertilizer. The ship was repaired and sailing under her fifth name when she arrived at the scrapyard.

Lakes Related: Cebu was sold by Oceanex Canada Ltd. to Indian shipbreakers and arrived at Alang on Aug. 4, 2014. Dismantling got underway by Honey Ship Breaking Pvt. Ltd. on Aug. 13. This ship spent most of its life on the St. Lawrence operating in the container trade between Montreal and Cornerbrook as a) Cavallo and b) Cabot for a variety of interests.

Compiled by Barry Andersen, Rene Beauchamp and Skip Gillham





Lookback #379 – Arie H. aground near Snell Lock on Dec. 1, 1960

There was a good reason why the Liberty ship Arie H. was the last saltwater ship of the 1960 season to clear the St. Lawrence Seaway. The waterway closed earlier in those days and the 15-year-old freighter was racing to leave the inland system when it went aground in the area of the Snell Lock on Dec. 1, 1960.

The stuck ship, on its only trip to the Great Lakes, was soon refloated and Arie H. managed to be the last out of the waterway, clearing on Dec. 2.

Arie H. had been built at New Orleans, La., as Roy K. Johnson. The 441 foot 6 inch long vessel was completed in February 1945 but the war was almost over. Beginning in 1946, the vessel worked for the Alcoa Steamship Co. but was laid up at Beaumont, Texas, in Nov. 1948.

It was sold and renamed on several occasions before becoming e) Arie H., Liberian registry, in 1960. After the misadventures of 54 years ago today, the ship remained in saltwater service. It became f) Aristea in 1962 and g) Beata in 1966. It went aground again inbound at Veracruz, Mexico, while inbound from Beaumont, Texas, on Sept. 17, 1966, but was released the same day.

Beata was sold to Taiwanese shipbreakers and arrived at Kaohsiung on May 26, 1968, for dismantling and recycling.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Michigan’s early snow and lake ice suggests difficult winter

12/2 - Detroit, Mich. – An almost incomprehensible first seasonal snowfall of more than 7 feet brought Buffalo, N.Y., to a near-standstill. But Michigan also is struggling with its own snowy, frigid November blast — particularly the Upper Peninsula.

The heavy, early, record-breaking snowfall — up to nearly 5 feet in parts of the U.P. — not only thwarted the firearm deer hunt that is so economically vital to many small U.P. communities, but it portends a third straight difficult winter for a deer population already significantly damaged by the past two brutal winters.

And after a near-record 92% ice cover over all the Great Lakes last winter, three of the lakes — Superior, Michigan and Huron — already had ice forming as of Nov. 18, the earliest ice cover has started on all three lakes in at least 40 years. That could make for another struggle for freighters hauling fuel, minerals and products on the waters.

The National Weather Service station at Marquette said the two-day snowfall Nov. 10-11 was the highest ever for the region that early. Munising topped its 103-year-old November snowfall record of 40.7 inches with more than half the month to go, meteorologist Don Rolfson said. Marquette also buried its previous snowfall record of 48.9 inches, topping 50.8 inches on Tuesday with snow in the forecast through the rest of the week. Ironwood also was on track to break its November snowfall record.

What's causing the huge dumping of snow in the U.P. — and elsewhere in Michigan — is the same thing causing it in Buffalo: A "system snow" that turned into a heavy, continued, lake-effect snow, Rolfson said. Cold air passes over the relatively warmer Great Lakes and acts like a snow-making machine.

"The water temperatures on Lake Superior are somewhat below normal," he said. "But we've been getting such unseasonably cold air, we're getting the lake-effect snow despite the lake being colder."

It's unusual for cold air masses coming south from the Arctic to be so cold and so persistent at this time of year, Rolfson said.

It's the same factor causing the early lake ice. The Canadian Ice Service recorded ice on Lake Superior near Thunder Bay on Nov. 15. That's the earliest recording on record going back at least 42 years, said service senior ice forecaster Jason Ross. It's also 10 days earlier than first-ice reports from last winter — which by later in the winter approached a record ice cover over all the Great Lakes of 92%.

Ice was on both the northern and southern shores of Lake Superior last week; on Green Bay and the northern tip of Lake Michigan; along the St. Mary's River and Georgian Bay in northern Lake Huron, and even on southern Saginaw Bay along Michigan's Thumb.

"It's very early," said Jia Wang, an ice climatologist with the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor. "Last winter was so cold, the water was still cold, and that combined with a polar vortex (of frigid air) coming down."

That elicits a grimace from Great Lakes freight haulers.

"It suggests this will be another tough winter for us," said Glen Nekvasil, vice president of the Lake Carriers Association, a trade organization for freighters.

Barges waiting in lines to follow icebreakers last winter caused many shipments to be delayed by days or even weeks. Association officials have met this month with the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards in preparation, Nekvasil said.

"They know we still have a lot of cargo to move," he said. "It could be a tough go, but if all the icebreakers are ready to go, we should be able to get the job done."

Detroit Free Press





Port Reports - December 2

Prescott, Ont. – Joanne N. Crack
Through the night Sunday, upbounders Ojibway, Catherine Desgagnes to Toledo, Maria Desgagnes to Hamilton, and the downbounders Cedarglen to Baie Comeau, and Olza to Montreal, all sailed past town. Early Monday morning, the CSL Niagara went down to Baie Comeau. Monday the Federal Schelde sailed up through at 4:54 am and into Prescott anchorage on her way to Hamilton to await safe positioning for meeting with American Fortitude in tow downbound. She was underway at 8:50 am. Mapleglen came up and through to Sarnia at 6:32 am. Downbounders Mitiq to Greenore, Ireland, at 6:51; Federal Hudson for Quebec City at 7 am; and the Manitoba at 8:45 am sailed through. The upbound Isa was through at 10:43 am headed to Sault St. Marie, Ont.; and the downbounders Finnborg headed for Tilbury, Great Britain, at 12:35pm, Larsholmen to Montreal at 3:36 pm and the Algoma Progress to Cowes, Great Britain, at 6:48 pm.

The American Fortitude in tow of Evans McKeil with Jarrett M tug assisting passed through at 12:30 pm on her final voyage through as they make their way to Brownsville, Texas, for scrapping. Expected early Tuesday morning are the downbound Eeborg to Montreal and the upbound heavy lift vessel Palmerton headed to the dock below Lock 1 in Port Weller to pick up a boiler.

Seaway – Mac Mackay
Le Groupe Ocean of Quebec City has renamed four of the BIG barges acquired earlier in the year when Distribution Grands Lacs wound up operations. Ocean Big 5, 6, 7 and 8 were respectively Big 503, 546, 9708B and 9917B. They had previously renamed four barges Ocean Big 1, 2, 3 and 4 but have renamed them again Big 4, 1, 2 and 3.





NMU grant will bring two new buoys to Lake Superior

12/2 - Marquette, Mich. – A new grant has been awarded to NMU to establish a coastal hazard observing system on a portion of Lake Superior. The grant will help fund deploying and monitoring two buoys that will measure wave height, water temperature, and wave activity among other things. One buoy will be placed near Pictured Rocks, while the other will be portable and will be placed in areas from Marquette to Whitefish Point. Sunday evening, a forum was held to inform the public on what the project is about and to gather input from the community as well.

"At some point in the future we're going to probably need support to keep it running in 5, 10, 15 years into the future, so we would like to get the community on board using it now so they see the utility of using it and can help fund us in the future," said Norma Froelich, Lead Investigator NMU’s Coastal Hazard Observing System.

The forums are expected to be a regular occurrence every month. The next one is this Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. at Falling Rock Cafe in Munising.

UpperMichigansSource.com





Duluth Seaway Port Authority names new CFO

12/2 - Duluth, Minn. – The Duluth Seaway Port Authority has named a new Chief Financial Officer – just the third CFO in its history. Kevin Beardsley joins the staff on Dec. 1, 2014, bringing with him 20 years of experience in accounting, taxation, financial management and strategic planning. Beardsley succeeds John Kubow, who is retiring after a 28-year career with the Port Authority.

A Two Harbors native, Beardsley, a CPA, has directed the financial operations of a handful of dynamic organizations in this region. His early experience as credit manager at a vehicle dealership in Two Harbors (Benna Ford) led to a position as controller for Flatwater Fleet, Inc., a family-owned, international manufacturing company based in Saginaw, Minn., that designs custom drill rig support trucks. He returned to work in Two Harbors in 2000 to become office manager for Cooperative Light and Power, overseeing its financial operations and strategic planning for six years. Most recently, Beardsley has been part of the management team at Midwest Energy Resources Co. in Superior, Wis., serving as the company’s manager of financial services since 2008.

Duluth Seaway Port Authority





Lookback #380 – Pearl Asia stranded off the Welland Canal on Dec. 2, 1976

The Liberian freighter Pearl Asia began Seaway service in 1971 but had been inland earlier under its original name of Crystal Crown.

The 460-foot, 10-inch-long bulk carrier had been built at Middlesborough, England, and launched on Sept. 21, 1956. It was completed the following January and entered service for the Sugar Line often trading between the Caribbean and England.

Crystal Crown began coming through the Seaway in 1960 and had made 13 trips into the Great Lakes to the end of 1967. It was sold in 1970 to the Good Hope Shipping Co. and registered under the flag of Liberia as Pearl Asia.

The grounding of 38 years ago today required help from the crane-equipped lighter Mapleheath and some of the cargo of bauxite, consigned to Thorold, had to be removed before tugs could pull the freighter free on Dec. 5. Despite the late season delay, Pearl Asia made it back to the sea before the deep freeze penetrated the inland lakes and rivers.

The vessel found bottom again off Quebec City on Aug. 14, 1977, and required a stay on the drydock at Baltimore to repair the damage.

Pearl Asia arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on July 9, 1979, and was broken up for scrap by the Nan Long Steel and Iron Co.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - December 2

On this day in 1942, the tug ADMIRAL and tanker-barge CLEVCO encountered a late season blizzard on Lake Erie. The ADMIRAL sank approximately 10 miles off Avon Point, Ohio, with a loss of 11. The CLEVCO sank 30 hours later off Euclid Beach with a loss of 19.

On 02 December 1857, the NAPOLEON (wooden propeller, 92 foot, 181 tons, built in 1845, at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, as a schooner) went to the assistance of the schooner DREADNAUGHT. In the rescue attempt, the NAPOLEON bent her rudder and disabled her engine. Helpless, she went on a reef off Saugeen, Ontario, and was pounded to pieces. Her engine, boiler and gear were salvaged in the autumn of 1858, and sold at Detroit, Michigan.

Hall Corporation of Canada’s OTTERCLIFFE HALL (Hull # 667) was launched December 2, 1968, at Lauzon, Quebec, by Davie Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

GEORGE R. FINK, b) ERNEST T. WEIR under tow passed Gibraltar on December 2, 1973, and arrived at Gandia, Spain, prior to December 7, 1973, for scrapping.

Pittsburgh Steamship Co.’s GOVERNOR MILLER (Hull # 810) was launched in1937, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co.

NIPIGON BAY last ran in 1982, and was laid up at Montreal on December 2nd.

December 2, 1975, the brand new carferry WOLFE ISLANDER III sailed into Kingston from Thunder Bay, Ontario. The new 55-car ferry would replace the older ferries WOLFE ISLANDER and UPPER CANADA.

On 2 December 1874, the steam barge GERMANIA was launched at King's yard in Marine City, Michigan. The Port Huron Times of 4 December 1874 reported that she "is probably the cheapest boat ever built in Marine City, wages and material, iron, etc. being very low." This was due to the nation just recovering from the "Panic of 1873." The vessel's dimensions were 144 feet overall x 56 feet 2 inches x 11 feet 9 inches.

On 2 December 1832, the wooden schooner CAROLINE was carrying dry goods worth more than $30,000 from Oswego to Ogdensburg, New York, in a violent storm. She capsized and sank off Ducks Island on Lake Ontario with the loss of one life. Five survived in the yawl and made it to the island in 6 hours. After much suffering from the cold and snow, they were rescued by the schooner HURON.

Duluth - December 2, 1950 - In the early part of this week there were as many as 41 Great Lakes vessels lined up in the Duluth-Superior harbor awaiting their turn to take on their cargoes of iron ore. Freezing temperatures prevailed at the head of the lakes and ore steaming operations permitted loading only of about 10 boats per day.

1964: The anchors of AGIOS NICOLAOS II dragged in a storm on the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the ship drifted aground at Sea-Cow Head, near Summerside, Prince Edward Island. The ship was released and towed to Halifax but not repaired. It had first come through the Seaway as a) ALKAID in 1961 and made one trip inland as b) AGIOS NICOLAOS II in 1964. Following a sale for scrap, the ship arrived at Bilbao, Spain, under tow of the tug PRAIA DE ADRAGA, on April 2, 1965.

1967: The tanker LUBROLAKE and tug IRVING BEECH were blown aground on Cape Breton Island, near New Waterford, NS at a site called the No. 12 Stone Dump. Both ships were abandoned and broken up to the waterline there at a later date.

1976: PEARL ASIA went aground off Port Weller while waiting clearance to head upbound to Thorold with a cargo of bauxite. After being lightered to MAPLEHEATH, the vessel was pulled free. It had begun Seaway trading as a) CRYSTAL CROWN in 1960 and first returned as b) PEARL ASIA in 1971.

1977: KEFALONIA SKY arrived at New Orleans with engine trouble that was later deemed beyond economic repair. The vessel was sold for scrapping at Brownsville, Texas, in 1978. It had first visited the Seaway as NIEUWE TONGE in 1960 and returned as b) AMSTELDIEP in 1963.

2006: The tug SENECA broke loose of the SUSAN B. HOEY on Lake Superior and was blown aground 21 miles east of Grand Marais, Mich. It was refloated on Dec. 23 and taken to Sault Ste. Marie for assessment.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Crew of Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw assists boater in distress

12/3 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – A boat crew from the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw came to the aid of a boater in distress on Lake Michigan Tuesday.

At about 11:25 a.m., a watchstander at the Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie command center received a call over channel 16 from the owner of a 16-foot commercial fishing vessel stating his boat was disabled and adrift about three miles northwest of Cross Village, Mich. The owner, a 34-year-old man, stated the boat was also taking on a small amount of water.

Sector Sault Ste. Marie issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and launched a boat crew from Coast Guard Station St. Ignace, which trailered their small boat to the location shore side. The Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, which was conducting aids to navigation operations about 20 miles from the scene, was diverted. In addition, a Tribal Conservation officer was dispatched to the area shore side.

At about 1:30 p.m., the Mackinaw arrived on scene, and shortly after a boat crew was launched aboard the cutter's small boat. The crew took the man and his disabled vessel in side tow to the Cross Village Boat Ramp where Station St. Ignace and Tribal Conservation personnel assisted the man and his vessel.

USCG





Port Reports - December 3

Saginaw River – Todd Shorkey
Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were inbound on the Saginaw River early Tuesday morning, calling on the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee. After unloading, the pair was outbound for the lake, reaching the Saginaw Bay late in the afternoon. For the month of November, there were 13 commercial vessel deliveries to docks along the Saginaw River. This is down seven deliveries from November 2013, when there were 20. It is also three deliveries below the five-year average of 16. For the year to date, there have been 105 commercial deliveries on the Saginaw River. This is 28 fewer than the same time period in 2013 and 21 fewer than the five year average of 126 over the same time period.

Thessalon, Ont.
Algoway’s unloading boom collapsed while unloading Nov 28. Photos show the boom broken in two places. As of Tuesday night, AIS had her remaining at Thessalon.

Oswego, N.Y. – Ned Goebricher
On Tuesday, Stephen B. Roman was unloading cement. Prescott Ont. – Joanne N. Crack
Very early Tuesday morning the Eeborg cleared Prescott, heading to Montreal. Tuesday morning the heavy lift vessel Palmerton was headed up to Port Weller at 5:17am. The downbound Bluewing sailed through to Montreal at 9:51pm and the upbound Federal Katsura went by headed to Windsor at 10:09am. Tuesday afternoon downbound traffic included Algoma Transport to Becancour at 12:03pm, Wigeon to Montreal at 1:07pm and the Flinter America at 1:47. Expected Tuesday evening are the downbound Algoma Spirit to Hamilton and the upbound tug Nickelena and barge BM209. Expected early Wednesday morning are the upbounders Baie Comeau to Conneaut, Apollon to Sault St. Marie, Ont., and the downbound Algowood to Baie Comeau.





Mackinaw continues Christmas tree tradition at Chicago this weekend

12/3 - Chicago, Ill. – The Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, serving once again as this year’s “Christmas Ship” and loaded with more than 1,200 Christmas trees, is returning to Chicago for a two-day event re-enacting what was an annual Chicago tradition in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

A welcoming for the Mackinaw, by the Chicago Christmas Ship Committee, is scheduled for Friday at 8 a.m. Chicago Fire and Police Department boats will be part of the welcome as live music is performed dockside by the Hubbard High School Band. Members of the Mackinaw’s crew and volunteers from Chicago’s boating community will begin decorating the ship Friday morning for the “Chicago’s Christmas Ship” event.

Chicago’s Christmas Ship Committee will also host educational programs aboard the Mackinaw and at the Columbia Yacht Club on Friday for students from Goodwin Elementary School in Cicero and Queen of All Saints School in Chicago. More than 150 students will learn about the role of the Coast Guard, the “Christmas Ship” tradition, observe a Sea Partners ecology presentation and experience a ship tour by the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The Christmas trees, purchased by Chicago’s Christmas Ship Committee, will be offloaded Saturday morning by members of the Coast Guard and local youth volunteers including the Sea Cadets, Venture Crews, Sea Scouts and the Young Marines, following a brief, public ceremony beginning at 10 a.m.

The ceremony will take place at the west end of Navy Pier near the Captain at the Helm statue and will include the Lincolnway Central High School Air Force JROTC Color Guard and Drill Team, and the Taft High School Choir. The ceremony will conclude with the first tree being presented to a representative family. The remaining trees will be loaded onto trucks for distribution by 17 local community organizations to more than 1,200 deserving families throughout Chicago.

The Mackinaw’s reenactment continues a treasured piece of Chicago’s maritime tradition. Herman Schuenemann was the captain of the original Christmas Ship. He came to Chicago from Michigan for more than 30 years with fresh evergreens and wreaths for the holiday season during the late 1800s and early 1900s. On Nov. 23, 1912, Captain Schuenemann was at the helm of the fabled Christmas Ship, the Rouse Simmons. On that day while transiting from Michigan, Captain Schuenemann and the Rouse Simmons was lost in a storm and sank with a crew of 16 between Kewaunee and Two Rivers, Wisconsin.

During its transit to Chicago this year, the crew of the Mackinaw will hold a solemn tribute and drop a wreath into the waters near the resting place of the Rouse Simmons, which was located in 1971.

Chicago’s boating community has been re-enacting the days of the Rouse Simmons landing in Chicago for the past 14 years. The Chicago’s Christmas Ship Committee is composed of, and supported by, many facets of Chicago’s boating community including the International Shipmasters’ Association, Chicago Marine Heritage Society, the Navy League of the United States, Chicago yacht clubs, Friends of the Marine Community, the Chicago Yachting Association, the Cruise Ship Mystic Blue and others. Navy Pier hosts the event, while staff lends support to this ongoing tradition.

Free, public tours of the Mackinaw will be available Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

USCG





Lookback #381 – Saltvik last salty out of the Seaway on Dec. 3, 1959

The St. Lawrence Seaway had opened the Great Lakes to larger ocean going ships on April 25, 1959, and the very successful first season ended for overseas callers on Dec. 3, 1959. It is interesting that the last ship to depart the Seaway in its first year of operation, like the first one to come in, had been a pre-Seaway era trader to the freshwater lakes.

Saltvik hailed from Norway and had made three trips to our shores in 1959. The vessel had been built as Lysaker V. at Porsgrunn, Norway, in 1936. The ship came inland with pulpwood in 1939 and left with grain. It survived the rigors of World War Two and was back through the old locks and canals in 1951 and 1952.

It was sold and renamed Kya in 1953 and again came to the Great Lakes. Sold again to A.C. Olsen in 1958, it became Saltvik in time for another trip to the lakes.

It was 55 years ago today, that Saltvik departed the Seaway as the last ocean traveler of the year. The ship was back one last time in 1960 and spent the rest of its life on saltwater. The ship was sold and renamed Ramsvik in 1963, became a lighter at Oslo in 1967 and then cut down to a barge in 1973. It is difficult to determine what happened next.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - December 3

In 1918, the forward end of the former Pittsburgh steamer MANOLA sank during a gale on Lake Ontario. The after end received a new forward end and sailed for several years as the MAPLEDAWN.

On 03 December 1881, the DE PERE (wooden propeller, 736 tons, built in 1875, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin) was caught in a severe southwest gale and blizzard on Lake Michigan. She was driven ashore near Two Rivers, Wisconsin. All efforts to free her failed, so she was left to winter where she lay. In April 1882, she was pulled free by the Goodrich tug ARCTIC and towed to Manitowoc for repairs. Little damage was found and she was back in service quickly.

On 03 December 1891, the OGEMAW (wooden propeller freighter, 167 foot, 624 gross tons, built in 1881, at St. Clair, Michigan) sprang a leak on Big Bay de Noc and sank. Her decks and cabins were blown off as she sank in 11 fathoms of water, 1 1/2 miles northwest of Burnt Bluff. Her crew was rescued by her consorts MAXWELL and TILDEN. Although the vessel was removed from enrollment as a total loss, she was later raised, rebuilt, and re-documented in 1894. However, 03 December was a fateful date for this steamer because on that date in 1922, she burned 1-1/2 miles below Grand Point, near Harsens Island, on the St. Clair River Ð this time to a total and final loss.

Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd.'s CANADIAN AMBASSADOR (Hull#70) was launched December 3, 1982, at St. Catharines, Ontario, by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd.

ROBERT W. STEWART, b.) AMOCO MICHIGAN in 1962) was launched in 1927, at Lorain, Ohio (Hull # 802), by the American Ship Building Co.

In 1909, LE GRAND S. DEGRAFF collided with the steamer HARVARD while down bound in the Detroit River in fog.

IRVING S. OLDS was laid up for the final time on December 3, 1981, at the Hallett Dock #5, Duluth, Minnesota, due to market conditions and her inability to compete with the 60,000-ton carrying capacity of the self-unloading thousand-foot bulk freighters.

On 3 December 1872, the officers and crew of the schooner E. KANTER arrived home in Detroit, Michigan. They reported that their vessel was driven ashore near Leland, Michigan in Lake Michigan on 26 November and was broken up by the waves.

On 3 December 1850, HENRY CLAY (2-mast wooden brig, 87 foot, 163 tons, built in 1842, at Huron, Ohio) was driven ashore at Point Nipigon in the Straits of Mackinac. She suffered little damage, but she was high and dry and unsalvageable. Her crew and passengers were picked up by the passing steamer TROY.

Back during the rough days of November on the lakes, the crews of the Imperial Oil tankers would wet the tablecloths in the mess rooms to keep plates, glasses and silverware from sliding off the tables.

1909: BARGE 101, a whaleback built on the Great Lakes in 1888, sank off Seal Island, Maine enroute from Boston to Halifax with coal tar. The crew of seven was lost.

1942: Yesterday and today the tug ADMIRAL and petroleum barge CLEVECO were lost with all hands off Euclid Beach, Ohio. A total of 32 sailors perished.

1954: The tug ROUILLE sank off Cape Smoky, NS with the loss of 5 lives. The vessel was built in 1929 as Hull 83 at the Collingwood Shipyard and had been on the lakes earlier in the year.

1959: THEODORUS A., seized earlier on Lake St. Clair due to debts, went aground twice while under tow to be unloaded. The vessel was released and spent the winter on the lakes. The crew was sent home.

1963: LIONEL and MANCHESTER MERCHANT collided at the entrance to the Seaway. The former caught fire and was beached at Ronde Island with heavy damage. It was rebuilt at Drammen, Norway, in 1964, returned inland as b) SKAGATIND in 1965 and was scrapped following another fire as e) ALECOS in 1982.

1967: TORONTO CITY, a Seaway trader from 1959 through 1962, went aground near the Elbe I Light enroute from Rostock, Germany, to Rotterdam, Holland, as d) EMMANUEL M. The crew was rescued and the ship was refloated July 7, 1970, sold for scrap, and broken up at Hamburg, Germany.

1985: An engine room fire broke out aboard the SKRADIN at Augusta, Italy, and the ship was a total loss. It had been a Seaway trader as b) BALTIC WASA beginning in 1971 and first returned under the current name in 1976. The damaged vessel was quickly sold for scrap and arrived at Split, Yugoslavia, December 28, 1985, for dismantling.

1987: The former Straits of Mackinac passenger and auto ferry VACATIONLAND sank off Oregon while under tow for scrapping in the Far East.

1993: HOPE I was seriously damaged when it hit bottom east of Quebec City. The ship had traded inland as a) NOSIRA MADELEINE beginning in 1983 and had returned as b) HOPE I earlier in 1993. It was repaired at Lauzon and continued Great Lakes service through 2002. The bulk carrier was back as c) HOPE in 2004.

1995: The former Canada Steamship Lines bulk carrier RIMOUSKI, renamed b) CANADIAN HARVEST, broke in two 114 miles NE of Sable Island while under tow for scrapping in India. The stern sank first. The bow was released two days later and was also lost.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Great Lakes ice season to be near normal

12/4 - It's going to be a near-normal ice season for the Great Lakes, according to the Canadian Ice Service. Scott Weese, a senior ice forecaster, says this season's ice forecast is based on the temperatures expected in the Great Lakes regions.

"At this point we have seen an early start to the season with some colder weather that's broken out across the region. So we've seen an advanced development of ice but that has slowed in the last few weeks with some warmer temperatures," Weese said.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the ice formation on Lake Superior last month was the earliest ever recorded on any of the Great Lakes since records started being kept more than 40 years ago.

But that should slow, Weese said. "The long-term outlook does suggest that too that temperatures are going to be near normal or slightly above normal. So we don't expect the really aggressive development of the ice this year," Weese said.

Last season, a maximum ice coverage of 92.2 per cent across all Great Lakes was recorded in early March. That was the second-highest ice cover ever recorded on the Great Lakes. The largest ice cover for the Great Lakes occurred during the winter of 1978-79, when 95 per cent of the Lakes were frozen in mid-February.

Weese doesn't expect the same this season.

"It's a forecast that is substantially lower than last year's but it does sit in the normal range from our historical climatology, our climatology starts from 1972-1973," Weese said.

Last year's record ice stranded boats and had icebreakers in Canadian and U.S. waters working overtime into the spring.

CBC





As 2014 winds down, no sign water levels won’t keep rising in new year

12/4 - Manitoulin Island, Ont. – According to Environment Canada’s latest installment of the publication LEVELnews, with the exception of Lake Ontario, water levels of all the Great Lakes remained above average in October.

“Generally wet conditions continued and water supplies to each of the lake’s basins were near or above average in October,” the publication states. “As a result, water levels have yet to begin their seasonal decline on Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron.

Lake Michigan-Huron’s mean level in October was 11 cm above average, the highest mean level recorded since 1998, and up 53 cm from last year.

“Lake Michigan-Huron continued to rise with above-average inflows from Lake Superior combined with above-average water supplies resulting in the lake level rising by two cm, when on average it falls by seven cm,” the report states. Levels of all the Great Lakes remained above last year’s levels at the beginning of November, with the exception of Lake Ontario, which is currently 10 cm below where it was last year at this time.

Lake Michigan-Huron’s beginning-of-November level was 15 cm above average, 55 cm higher than last year and the highest beginning-of-November level since 1997,” LEVELnews continues. Higher beginning-of-November values have been recorded on Lake Michigan-Huron 35 times since 1918.

Depending on the level of ice cover for Lake Huron this winter, Islanders could conceivably see this trend of rising water levels continue into the spring.

Manitoulin Expositor





Deep water port, docks under development at Escanaba

12/4 - Escanaba, Mich. – Basic Marine has begun the development of Escanaba's north shore, which will become the home of a new deep water port.

"The final plan is to be a deep water port, that's the objective of this whole thing. Initially, what we're striving to do is do ship repair," said Lyle Berro, business development manager for Basic Marine. "This will be the only facility on the upper Great Lakes ... that will be able to take a loaded ore freighter and have it be able to come in and have repairs done on it."

To bring the company's plan to fruition, the property's shoreline need to be dredged to allow ships access to the docks and pier being built. For a fully-loaded carrier to dock, the lake bottom needed to be dredged to around 26 feet.

The barge used to dredge the lake bottom along Escanaba’s north shore sits docked Monday morning. Dredging is a major part of Basic Marine’s plan to develop the area into a deepwater port where fully-loaded ships can be repaired.

Dredging the lake has produced large piles of sand on the shoreline, as well as large piles of wood debris from the original merchant dock that was built in the 1840s.

"This is the original merchant dock for Escanaba. The reason Escanaba is here is because of this lake frontage right here that we're working on," said Berro.

The new structures - a large stretch of concrete dock and the extension of a 450-foot pier to construct a 1,200-foot pier - will have their own effect for commerce and shipping even though the ships that dock in the deep water port will not be picking up or dropping off cargo.

"They'll tie up here in the winter time and once the shipping season starts again they'll be closer to the earliest opening ore shipping port on the Great Lakes, right here in Escanaba," explained Berro. "Basic Marine also has Basic Towing and they also have an icebreaking service and they'll be able to get the ships out into the bay, break ice up to the dock, and start the shipping season that much earlier because the ships will be right here."

In the beginning, Basic Marine will be able to host two or three ships, but eventually the goal is to have as many as 10 ships docked over the winter receiving repairs. Each ship will have it’s own work crew to ensure that the ship is ready when the shipping season opens in the spring.

"With ship repair winter tie up here, every ship will require between 20 and 50 skilled trades laborer people - welders, pipe-fitters, electricians, engineers - all kinds of skilled trades will be needed to do winter tie-up repairs," said Berro.

Berro also noted other industries such as machine shops and welding supply companies will benefit from the repairs being done at the new dock. Hotels, retailers, and restaurants could benefit from the people who come in with the ships when they arrive at the port.

"The economic impact once this is up and running will be immense," said Berro.

The timeline for the project's completion is dependent on weather conditions, but Basic Marine hopes to have the piles of dredged sand off the shoreline by the spring. Once the dredging is completed, the company will bring in infrastructure like heavy electrical, natural gas, and air lines. Water, wastewater, and storm sewer capabilities will need to be brought in by the City of Escanaba.

"It's a big project," said Berro.

Escanaba Daily Press





Lake Erie temperature at end of November coldest in decades

12/4 - Buffalo, N.Y. – Lake Erie’s water temperature at the end of November fell to 40 degrees. That’s the coldest Nov. 30 reading in Buffalo since 1976, when the lake temperature was 38 degrees.

Anyone old enough to remember November 1976 needs no further reminder of what happened the following January. The lake froze, and sustained winds during the Blizzard of ’77 blew 3 feet of accumulated snow off the ice and dumped it across the Niagara Frontier.

Great Lakes scientists say it’s too early to tell if the lake’s present condition will lead to that kind of snow catastrophe this winter.

Until the lake freezes, there’s always a chance for lake-effect snow. But as the water turns colder, there’s less chance for a repeat of the heavy lake-effect snowfall that hit the area a couple of weeks ago.

“It really depends on what happens now and over the next few weeks or month,” said Eric J. Anderson, a forecaster at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Anderson said the cooling of the lake was speeded up by to the polar blast that recently dumped more than 7 feet of snow recently in some communities. “The lake is primed,” Anderson said. “If the air temperature drops, the lake is ready to freeze.”

But could that spell trouble, too?

Buffalonians know as well as anyone that a frozen lake can be a blessing – there’s no more lake-effect snow.

“Once you seal it – once the water is not liquid – that cuts the evaporation” and with it the lake-effect snow, said George A. Leshkevich, a Great Lakes ice scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Last winter, ice covered 92.5 percent of the Great Lakes – the most since 1979.

As of the middle of November, ice was already forming in some of the northern bays of Lake Superior. “It’s the earliest our office has on record for ice,” Anderson said.

Anderson called the early onset of ice “symptomatic” of a “cold year” over the Great Lakes.

A brutally cold winter, the late arrival of spring and a cool summer over the region kept lake temperatures – including Lake Erie – lower than usual this year. A warm autumn tempered those readings, at least until the arctic blast last month.

“Water temperatures on Lake Erie right now are very similar to what they were a year ago today,” Anderson said.

Last year, the Nov. 30 water temperature of Lake Erie in Buffalo was 41 degrees, and ice began forming on the lake during the second week in December. By Dec. 12 – after an arctic blast and round of lake-effect snow – about 10 percent of Lake Erie was already covered in ice.

Forecasters expect the same conditions could occur this month and continue through the winter.

“The ice cover in Lake Erie will be similar to last year,” said Jia Wang, an ice and climate forecaster at the Great Lakes laboratory.

As of Tuesday, there was no sign of ice on the lake. When it does appear, it will likely show up first near Toledo and along the Canadian shore near Long Point, Ont.

“The shallow areas are going to get that formation first,” Anderson said.

The Buffalo office of the National Weather Service takes Lake Erie’s daily temperature at a 30-foot depth at the city’s water treatment plant, near where the lake spills into the Niagara River.

Tuesday’s reading remained at 40 degrees, but there’s a 14-degree spread on the thermometer between the western part of the lake and its deepest point between Long Point, Ont., and Erie, Pa.

Scientists said the temperature was at a lake-low 34 degrees in shallow areas near Toledo and 38 degrees near the islands off of Ohio’s shore. Surface temperatures on the deeper eastern end of the lake near Buffalo ranged from 42 degrees to 44 degrees with the lake’s deepest waters still at 46 degrees to 48 degrees.

So, there’s still a ways to go before the lake freezes, ending the lake-effect threat.

“The lake freezing is what would end it,” said Jeff Wood, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Buffalo. Anderson said, “Even if you start now, you’re really not going to start to shut the system down for another three weeks or so.”

Over the last 30 years, the average date when the lake freezes is Jan. 21, the weather service said.

If warmer water is the key to lake-effect snow, will the colder water knock down the ferocity of any more lake-effect storms?

The simple answer is yes. Scientists said the wider the spread between the temperatures of the air and the water, the more evaporation occurs and thus greater lake-effect snow.

“As the water temperature falls, then the difference between the two is lessened,” Leshkevich said. “The possibility of evaporation is going to be reduced.”

On Nov. 18 – well into the first of the two big lake-effect storms last month – Lake Erie’s temperature was 48 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The air temperature at the surface of the water then was about 24 degrees. At 5,000 feet above the lake, it was 5 degrees. At 20,000 feet it was minus 44.

Mix in the west wind, and it all turned into snowfall rates of up to 5 inches an hour.

“The lake was still quite warm and you had an awfully cold air mass aloft,” Wood said.

Buffalo News





Port Reports - December 4

Alpena, Mich. – From Ben & Chanda McClain
Manistee brought coal to Lafarge on Sunday. The Sam Laud arrived in the river at the DPI dock late Sunday night. It unloaded coal and left early Monday morning. On Tuesday the tug G.L Ostrander and barge Integrity was loading cement at Lafarge.

Prescott, Ont. – Joanne N. Crack
Upbound through the night Tuesday and early morning Wednesday were the Algoma Spirit to Hamilton, Nickelena tug with BM209 barge and Algowood to Baie Comeau, Q.C. Wednesday, the upbound Baie Comeau sailed through at 3:36am headed to Conneaut. Later, the downbounders Maria Desgagnes at 5:58am and Thunder Bay at 6:32am, both headed to Quebec City, cleared town. The upbounders Apollon headed to Sault Ste. Marie at 9:52am, Claude A. Desgagnes to Toledo at 12 pm. Baie St. Paul came up and into the Port of Johnstown at 2:15pm. Ebroborg came down at 4:04pm headed for Ravenna, Italy, and up came Bluebill at 4:18pm headed to Burns Harbor. The downbound Algolake followed at 4:39pm for Quebec City, and the downbound Cuyahoga came by at 5:56pm. Through Wednesday evening and night, the upbound Algoma Discovery to Thunder Bay, and Florijngracht to Hamilton, are expected. Downbound John D. Leith to Baie Comeau, and Victorious tug with John J. Carrick barge to Montreal are also expected.

Ship Movements in Quebec/Montreal to Great Lakes – Andre Blanchard
Ships in Quebec then moving on to Great Lakes/Seaway
Tecumseh - ETD: Dec 3 for Toledo, OH Ships expected in Quebec then moving on to Great Lakes/Seaway
Acadian - ETA: Dec 4, then on to Montreal, QC
Vega Desgagnes - ETA: Dec 4, then on to Hamilton, ON
Thunder Bay - ETA: Dec 5, then on to Superior, WI
Whistler - ETA: Dec 5, then on to Toronto, ON
High Nefeli - ETA: Dec 7, then on to Montreal, QC
Prisco Elizaveta - ETA: Dec 7, then on to Montreal, QC

Ships in Montreal then moving on to Great Lakes/Seaway
Bremen: ETD: Not yet available, but will be heading to Sorel, QC

Ships expected in Montreal then moving on to Great Lakes/Seaway
Sundaisy E: ETA: Dec 6 then on to Hamilton, ON
Cuyahogoa: ETA: Dec 4 then on to Hamilton, ON






Lookback #382 - Nakwa River suffered extensive fire damage at Montreal on Dec. 4, 1966

A number of ships came to the Great Lakes from Ghana in the early years of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Most had names that ended in “River” while others had a name ending in “Lagoon.” These vessels were part of the Black Star Line.

Nakwa River was built by Barclay Curle & Co. and launched at Glasgow, Scotland, on Jan. 15, 1965. It was completed in May and spent its first year in ocean trading.

The 454-foot, 6-inch-long by 62-foot, 8-inch-wide general cargo carrier was diesel- powered and able to handle up to 7,750 tons of freight.

On Dec. 4, 1966, 48 years ago today, a fire broke out aboard Nakwa River while the vessel was approaching Montreal. The ship docked with the fire underway and local firefighters help extinguish the blaze. The duration of the fire resulted in extensive damage but this was repairable as the ship was not yet two years old.

Nakwa River had been a Seaway trader earlier in 1966 and returned after the repairs had been completed. The ship continued in company service until tying up at Hamburg, West Germany, on Feb. 4, 1982.

The Black Star Line was having economic difficulties and eventually declared bankruptcy. Most of their vessels never sailed again and Nakwa River was sold to Spanish shipbreakers to help satisfy the company creditors.

On April 10, 1984, Nakwa River was towed into Santander, Spain, were it was broken up by Desbar.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - December 4

In 1947, EMORY L. FORD, Captain William J. Lane, departed the Great Northern Elevator in Superior, Wisconsin, with the most valuable cargo of grain shipped on the Great Lakes. The shipment, valued at more than $3 million, consisted of 337,049 bushes of flax valued at $7 a bushel and 140,000 bushels of wheat.

On 04 December 1891, the side-wheel wooden passenger steamer JEANIE, owned by John Craig & Sons, caught fire at the Craig & Sons shipyard in Toledo, Ohio, and burned to the water's edge. She was valued at $25,000 and insured for $10,000.

Algoma Central Marine's ALGOSOO was the last ship built on the Lakes with the traditional fore and aft cabins; her maiden voyage took place today in 1974.

IMPERIAL QUEBEC entered service on December 4, 1957. Renamed b.) SIBYL W. in 1987, and c.) PANAMA TRADER in 1992. Scrapped in Mexico in 1997.

LIGHTSHIP 103 completed her sea trials December 4, 1920.

At 0210 hours on December 4, 1989, the U.S.C.G.C. MESQUITE ran aground in 12 feet of water at a point one-quarter nautical mile off Keweenaw Point. After a struggle to save the ship, the 53 persons aboard abandoned ship at 0830 hours and boarded the Indian salty MANGAL DESAI, which was standing by.

On 4 December 1873, a gale struck Saginaw Bay while the CITY OF DETROIT of 1866 was carrying 8,000 bushels of wheat, package freight and 26 crew and passengers. She was also towing the barge GUIDING STAR. The barge was cut loose in the heavy seas at 3:30 a.m. and about 7 a.m. the CITY OF DETROIT sank. Captain Morris Barrett of the GUIDING STAR saw three of the CITY OF DETROIT's crew in one lifeboat and only one in another lifeboat. The CITY OF DETROIT went down stern first and the passengers and crew were seen grouped together on and about the pilothouse. Capt. Barrett and his crew of seven then abandoned GUIDING STAR. They arrived at Port Elgin, Ontario on 6 December in their yawl with their feet frozen. The barge was later found and towed in by the tug PRINDEVILLE.

On 4 December 1838, THAMES (wooden passenger/package-freight side-wheeler, 80 foot, 160 tons, built in 1833, at Chatham, Ontario) was burned at her dock in Windsor, Ontario by Canadian "patriots" during a raid on Windsor involving more than 500 armed men.

EMERALD ISLE completed her maiden voyage from Beaver Island to Charlevoix on December 4, 1997. Her first cargo included a few cars and 400 passengers. EMERALD ISLE replaced BEAVER ISLANDER as the main ferry on the 32-mile run.

1920: The first RENVOYLE went to saltwater for war service in 1915. It foundered in shallow water on this date in the Bay of Biscay in 1920. Salvage attempts failed. The hull was broken up by the elements and part was scrapped on site.

1951: CAPTAIN C.D. SECORD was disabled and under tow of the SIR THOMAS SHAUGHNESSY when it broke loose in a storm off Isle Royale. The ship was retrieved by U.S.C.G. WOODRUSH and taken to safety and eventually to Port Arthur for repairs.

1966: NAKWA RIVER sustained extensive fire damage at Montreal. The flames broke out while outbound from the Great Lakes.

1986: AMERICAN REPUBLIC was blown on the breakwall at Lorain, Ohio, and received a five-foot gash on the side about 15 feet above the waterline.

1990: IONIA caught fire in the engine room about 90 miles south of Puerto Rico while enroute from Tampa to Chittagong, Bangladesh. The damage was not repaired and the hull was towed to Aliaga, Turkey, as f) ONIA in 1991 and scrapped. The vessel began Seaway service in 1971 as the British flag freighter ZINNIA, returned as b) TIMUR SWIFT in 1983 and as d) ZENOVIA in 1985.

1992: ZEUSPLEIN caught fire in the bridge at Campana, Argentina, and became a total loss. The vessel was sold to shipbreakers in India and arrived for scrapping on June 1, 1993. It had first traveled the Seaway as a) ZEUS in 1972 and had been rebuilt as a container ship in 1983.

[yachtsmanwilly]

It’s official: Algoma Montrealais to be retired at end of season

12/5 - According to the winter edition of Bear Facts, the Algoma Central Corp. employee newsletter, the 1962-built laker Algoma Montrealais will be retired at the end of the 2014 shipping season. She is Canada’s last steam-powered laker. The article did not mention whether the vessel will be scrapped overseas or at the scrapping dock at Port Colborne, Ont., where her sister vessel, Algoma Quebecois, met her end earlier this year. On Thursday, the vessel was departing Duluth/Superior for the last time headed to Thunder Bay for a grain cargo.

Read the issue here







Port Reports - December 5

Thunder Bay, Ont. – Andre Blanchard
Ships expected in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Algoma Montrealais and Algoma Equinox - Dec 5
Federal Ems and Vancouverborg - Dec 6
Algoma Discovery , Oakglen, John B. Aird Algoma Spirit Dec 7

Ships in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Pineglen and Kaministiqua arrived Dec 4.
Ina - Arrived Dec 3.
Federal Kumano - Arrived Dec 2.
Zelada Desgagnes

Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Jim Conlon
The Samuel de Champlain and the CSL Laurentien are both in the large drydock at Bayship. The Champlain is getting underwater work and the Laurentien is getting new tail shaft and blades in preparation for installation of new MAK engines. The Beaver Island ferry Emerald Isle is in the small drydock having some routine work done.

Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
The tug Sharon M I was docked Thursday at the Gateway Metroport in Lackawanna.

Rochester, N.Y. – Tom Brewer
Stephen B. Roman departed Rochester early Thursday afternoon bound for Picton, Ont.

Prescott, Ont. - Joanne N. Crack
Through Wednesday evening and night, the upbound Algoma Discovery at 6:47pm to Thunder Bay, Ont., and Florijngracht to Hamilton, Ont. Downbound John D. Leitch to Baie Comeau, QC., and Victorious articulated push tug with John J. Carrick barge to Montreal, QC all went through town. Thursday the Algonova went down through at 3:05am heading to Tracy, QC., the downbound Torrent heading to Quebec City, QC at 7:04, the articulated push tug Wilf Seymour with Alouette Spirit barge up through at 7:12 for Oswego, N.Y., and CSL Niagara up to Sandusky, Ohio at 7:38am. The Federal Mattawa came up at 8:57am headed to Burns Harbor, Indiana. Radcliffe R. Latimer headed up to Clarkson at 12:43 and downbounders Algolake to Tracy, QC at 1:00pm and Ojibway at 3:16pm. Upbound at 4:49pm the Americaborg sailed through headed to Hamilton, Ont. Expected to sail through Thursday night are the upbounders Manitoba and Tecumseh both headed to Thunder Bay, Ont. Expected to depart Friday morning is the Baie St. Paul, from the Port of Johnstown with a 25 tonne load of soybean for Quebec City, Quebec.

Seaway – Mac Mackay
The tug Eileen McAllister is tied up in Quebec City, giving a destination of Brownsville. This is the tug that will take over the American Fortitude scrap tow to Texas. There have been high winds all over eastern Canada for the last two days, so the tow has been delayed.





Large abstract sculpture of historic schooner planned for downtown Muskegon

12/5 - Muskegon, Mich. – A historic schooner that was the pride of Muskegon and later destroyed far from home for the amusement of others will rise again in the form of an abstract sculpture.

The schooner Lyman M. Davis will be memorialized with the sculpture planned for the traffic circle on Terrace Point Drive near downtown. The site is near where the Davis was built in 1872, one of very few ships ever built in Muskegon.

John Hermanson, whose grandfather was a captain of the Davis, is spearheading the effort to add another sculpture to the downtown area. The 33-foot abstract piece will be made of stainless steel that will just "gleam like crazy," Hermanson said. Its form will mimic the sails of the two-masted fore-and-aft schooner.

The sculpture will be the first public outdoor sculpture in Muskegon to pay homage to the city's maritime history. The schooner was built to ferry lumber from the Mason Lumber Company to Chicago following the great fire of October 1871.

So it was somewhat ironic, and certainly tragic to the people of Muskegon, when the schooner was burned in an intentionally set fire to entertain visitors at a Toronto amusement park in 1934.

"It was a very, very serious tragedy," Hermanson said. "At the time, there were a lot of people who knew it was going to happen, and who just couldn't stop it. It's very sad."

Hermanson is working to raise $144,000 in private funds for the sculpture, and has already raised $88,000. The hope is to have the sculpture erected in the spring of 2016. The traffic circle where it will be located is adjacent to The Lake House Waterfront Grille and Shoreline Inn as well as at the entrance to the Terrace Point Landing residential development and Grand Valley State University's Michigan Alternative & Renewable Energy Center.

The sculpture, which has been two years in the planning, will be created by Steve Peterson, a Cedar Springs artist. Story boards nearby will tell the story of the Lyman M. Mason.

Following the Chicago fire, there was an urgent need for lumber to rebuild the city. Lyman Mason and Charles Davis, owners of the Mason Lumber Company, commissioned the construction of the schooner at the end of Pine Street near the current Muskegon Fire Department downtown station and Hot Rod Harley Davidson on Terrace Street.

At the time, the shore of Muskegon Lake came up roughly where Western Avenue is, Hermanson said. "It was very unusual it was built here," he said.

The sailing ship made its first trip to Chicago in the spring of 1873, and made as many as three round trips per week, according to Hermanson. An image of the Lyman M. Davis sailing in the Muskegon Channel is one of the iconic images from the "romantic" era of Muskegon's commercial sailing history.

"It turned out to be the fastest schooner ever in the Great Lakes, and there were over 1,000 schooners on the lake at one time," Hermanson said. The Davis even beat the steamer George C. Markham in an 1887 race across Lake Michigan, according to Hermanson.

Hermanson, a self-described "boat freak," said he grew up with stories about the Lyman M. Davis and for several years had mulled over the idea of a public sculpture of the schooner.

When he brought the idea to the Downtown Muskegon Public Arts Committee, it was greeted with enthusiasm, said Chris McGuigan, president of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, one of the founders of the committee.

"The committee is excited about the sculpture because it connects us to our maritime history, it's a beautiful sculpture and because of its setting and its visibility," McGuigan said.

The schooner Lyman M. Davis was sold in 1912 by then owner William Brinen, who later tried and failed to repurchase his beloved ship from the new owners, who were brothers from Ontario. The Davis continued sailing the Georgian Bay, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario into the 1930s.

In 1933, the owner of the Sunnyside Amusement Park in Toronto purchased the Davis and decided to burn the historic schooner and charge visitors to watch its fiery death. A last-minute effort by Muskegon residents to save the Davis was too little too late.

On June 29, 1934, the schooner went down in flames after its rigging was filled with bombs and rockets and oil poured on the decks and dynamite used as a final blow, according to historical accounts. Its wreck remains upright in 148 feet of water about a mile off shore from Toronto. Divers continue to visit its remains.

M Live





Lookback #383 – Advance ran aground off Manitoulin Island on Dec. 5, 1927

The wooden steamer Advance had been built by Louis Shickluna at St. Catharines in 1884. Originally the Sir S.L. Tilley, the ship was used in the package freight and bulk trades but burned to the waterline off Cleveland on Aug. 26, 1899. While rebuilt, it burned again to the main deck at Sault Ste. Marie when the cargo of coal caught fire on Oct. 25, 1903.

The ship was rebuilt at Kingston and lengthened to 175 feet joining the Montreal Transportation Co. in 1904. It was rebuilt again in 1913 and converted to a bulk carrier. The vessel came under the operation of Canada Steamship Lines in 1916 but was tied up in 1921.

The ship was idle at Port Dalhousie in the mid-1920s but sold to W. Bingley & Son Ltd. for work in the coal trade to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario ports. However, Advance was on Georgian Bay when it went aground 87 years ago today. Although salvaged, the ship was laid up at Cornwall and never sailed again.

This was one of the numerous ships idled due to the Depression that never resumed trading. In time, the Advance was stripped of useful equipment. It was then towed down the St. Lawrence and discarded below Cornwall where the hull was allowed to rot.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - December 5

In 1927, ALTADOC crashed on the rocks of the Keweenaw Peninsula when her steering gear parted during a Lake Superior storm. The machinery and pilothouse of the wreck were recovered in 1928. The pilothouse was eventually refurbished in 1942 and opened as the Worlds Smallest Hotel in Copper Harbor, Michigan. The owners resided in the captains’ quarters, a gift shop was set up in the chart room, a guest lounge was set up in the wheelhouse, and there were two rooms for guests.

On 05 December 1897, the GEORGE W. MORLEY (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 193 foot, 1045 gross tons, built in 1888, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was sailing light from Milwaukee to Chicago when a fire started near her propeller shaft. It blazed up too quickly for the engineer to put it out and before he could get the fire pump started, the flames drove on deck. The firemen were kept at their posts as the vessel was steered to shore. She sank 100 yards off Greenwood Avenue, Evanston, Illinois. Luckily no lives were lost. The vessel’s engine was recovered in October 1898.

Tanker SATURN (Hull#218) was launched in 1973, for Cleveland Tankers at Jennings, Louisiana, by S.B.A. Shipyards, Inc.

SIR JAMES DUNN (Hull#109) was launched in 1951, for Canada Steamship Lines at Port Arthur, Ontario, by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

The keel was laid for the E.G. GRACE on December 5, 1942. This was the last of the six ships built by AmShip in the L6-S-A1 class for the United States Maritime Commission and was traded to the Interlake Steamship Company in exchange for older tonnage. She would later become the first of the "Maritime Class" vessels to go for scrap in 1984.

On 5 December 1874, the steam barge MILAN was scheduled to be hauled ashore at Port Huron to replace her "Mississippi wheel" with a propeller.

The wooden 100-foot schooner BRILLIANT was close to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on 5 December 1857, where she was scheduled to pick up a load of lumber when she went on a reef close to shore and sank. No lives were lost.

1909: HENRY STEINBRENNER (i) sank in a snowstorm on Mud Lake following a collision with the HARRY A. BERWIND. The superstructure remained above water and the ship was later refloated and repaired.

1927: The wooden steamer ADVANCE went aground off Manitoulin Island and two sailors were lost. The ship was salvaged but tied up at Cornwall later in the month and never operated again.

1935: The lumber carrier SWIFT caught fire at Sturgeon Bay and was a total loss. The remains were scrapped in 1936.

1935: The 65-year old wooden tug LUCKNOW burned outside the harbor at Midland and the ship was beached as a total loss.

1952: The wooden tug GARGANTUA departed Collingwood under tow and sought shelter from a storm early the next day behind Cabot Head. The ship was scuttled to avoid the rocky shore with the main part of the hull above water. The intent was to refloat the vessel in 1953 but it was abandoned instead.

1964: FAYETTE BROWN, enroute to Bilbao, Spain, for scrap, broke loose of the tug BARENTSZ ZEE in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and drifted aground on the south shore of Anticosti Island. Salvage efforts were not successful and the remains of the hull, now broken into many pieces, are still there.

1971: VENUS CHALLENGER was sunk by a missile in the India-Pakistan war while 26 miles south of Karachi. The ship broke in two and sank in 8 minutes. All 33 on board were lost. The vessel was completely darkened and going at 16 knots when hit. The ship had been a Seaway trader earlier in 1971 and as b) PLEIAS in 1968.

1976: TATIANA L. and RALPH MISENER sustained minor damage from a collision in the St. Lawrence. The former was scrapped at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, as c) LUCKY LADY in 2009, while the latter arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, for dismantling as c) DON in September 2012.

1987: The CASON foundered off Punta Rostro, Spain, enroute from Hamburg to Shanghai, due to heavy weather. There were 8 survivors but another 23 sailors perished. There were explosions and fires in deck containers and the hull broke in two during a salvage effort in May 1988. The ship had come through the Seaway as b) WOLFGANG RUSS in 1978 and FINN LEONHARDT in 1979.

[yachtsmanwilly]

www.coastaldiscoverycentre.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/timeline4.pdf#!friendsofthecentre/c1yzj

WHAT A JOB !!!




Senator John McCain vows repeal of Jones Act

12/6 - Washington, D.C. – Senator John McCain said a more than 90-year-old law that requires ships servicing coastal ports and the Great Lakes to be built and crewed by U.S. citizens will be repealed sooner or later if lawmakers keep fighting the trade restriction.

Oil refiners, and many manufacturers and state governments oppose the Jones Act, saying the requirement increases costs by blocking shipping by cheaper foreign-built and foreign-flagged vessels.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a rare waiver of the act in 2012 when superstorm Sandy led to fuel shortages at gas stations on the East Coast, allowing foreign vessels to bring fuel from Gulf Coast refiners. But the act has been blamed for causing bottlenecks, including a shortage of rock salt for New Jersey roads during a recent severe winter storm.

McCain, an Arizona Republican and the incoming chairman of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, estimates that consumers could save about $1 billion annually if the Jones Act was lifted. He introduced a bill in 2010 to repeal it but estimated soon after that he probably only had about 20 votes in the 100-member chamber.

He said despite tough opposition, it is a fight that he will win one day. “It’s one of these things you just propose amendments to bills and encourage hearings and sooner or later the dam breaks,” McCain said after a speech at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

“But I have to tell you … the power of this maritime lobby is as powerful as anybody or any organization I have run up against in my political career. All I can do is appeal to the patron saint of lost causes and keep pressing and pressing and sooner or later you have to succeed,” he said.

Supporters of the Jones Act say it promotes jobs in domestic shipbuilding and that it has wide support in Congress because workers in all 50 U.S. states make components for those vessels.

Reuters




CWB Marquis delivery voyage update

12/8 - On her delivery voyage, the CWB Marquis departed from Nantong, China, at 0720 hours November 4, and arrived into Davao, Philippines, on November 10, to fuel before crossing the Pacific. With fueling complete, she departed from Davao on November 11 in clear weather.

The ship is currently at 3/4 of the way across the Pacific Ocean, and crossed the International Date Line on Sunday, November 23 at 5:11 am. Following convention, the date was reversed one full day, so that the new date and time were 5:11 hours on Saturday, November 22. The crew got to relive the trip by one more day, and have two Saturdays in a row.

The ship is due into Balboa, Panama on December 14, and expects to make the passage northbound through to the Atlantic Ocean on the evening of December 15. Clearing the Panama Canal on December 16, she is due into Canada on or around the December 29.

The ship is the first of two vessels owned by The Canadian Wheat Board, and managed by Algoma Central Corporation. The second ship, the CWB Strongfield, will depart from China in the spring of 2015.

Capt. Seann O’Donoughue





Port Reports - December 8

Marquette, Mich. – Rod Burdick
A busy Sunday at the Upper Harbor found John J. Boland and Michipicoten at the LS&I Upper Harbor ore dock and Tug and Barge Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder at anchor, loaded with coal for the hopper.

St. Marys River – Tom Lindholm
On Saturday, between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Federal EMS, Peter Cresswell, American Courage, Vancouverborg, Pacific Huron and Michipicoten were all upbound. Downbound traffic included Pineglen, Joseph L. Block and Kaministiqua. Algosar was unloading and due to leave around 3 p.m.

Suttons Bay, Mich. – Al Miller
Tug Prentiss Brown and barge Conquest tucked into Suttons Bay to anchor Sunday night, apparently because the loading berth at Charlevoix was occupied.

Lorain, Ohio
Saginaw was in port Sunday, departing at 8:30 a.m., headed east. Algorail departed early Sunday morning, after being in port the previous day.

Buffalo, N.Y. – Brian W.
American Mariner arrived over the weekend with grain. As she was entering, the New York State Power Authority tug Breaker was heading out of the Buffalo River Entrance Channel with a 500-foot section of the Niagara River ice boom.

Prescott, Ont. - Joanne N. Crack
Through Saturday night and early Sunday morning, Vega Desgagnes and Lugano, both up to Hamilton, Ont.; Esta Desgagnes down to Montreal, QC; Thunder Bay up to Duluth, Algoeast up to Nanticoke, Ont.; and Algoma Hansa down to Quebec City, QC.

Sunday, Sarah Desgagnes came down at 5:49 am heading to Quebec and the Evans McKeil tug came up at 6:38am. At 8:09 am the Federal Rideau came down headed to Sorel, QC. The Federal Kushiro came up at 12:17pm and then downbounders, Manitoba at 1:08 pm, Mapleglen at 1:44 pm headed to Baie Comeau, QC, and, Salvor tug with Lambert Spirit heading to Cornwall, Ont. at 2 p.m.

Sunday evening, Isolda was through to Montreal, QC and Algoma Navigator to Valleyfield, QC. Sunday night, expected through are downbounders, Federal Kivalina to Montreal, QC., Tim S. Dool and Brant to Kaliningrad, Russia.

Early Monday morning, expected through are upbounders Algoma Olympic to Hamilton, Ont.; HHL Mississippi to Chicago and Algonova. Kom is expected down headed for Gilbraltar.





U.S. Steel to restart Hamilton coke ovens

12/8 - Toronto, Ont. – U.S. Steel Canada will restart its idled Hamilton coke ovens and bring 77 workers back from layoff. The company sought emergency court permission to fire up the oven Friday, saying it had a chance to sell coke from Hamilton to its American parent.

"This is a positive for a bunch of reasons," company lawyer Paul Steep said in a brief hearing in Toronto.

"It will help the company's cash flow, it will bring workers back and having it operating will make a sale easier."

Hamilton's coke ovens, in which coal is baked to remove impurities before being mixed with iron ore to make steel, were put into "hot idle" at the end of October after the company said it didn't need their production any longer.

During November, however, the company and chief restructuring officer Bill Aziz started negotiating with another steelmaker over the possibility of selling coke from Hamilton.

They eventually decided against selling a crucial raw material to a competitor and found a new customer — U. S. Steel Canada's American parent firm.

In addition to creating revenue for the former Stelco plant, the company said in its motion to the court that having the ovens working would make it easier to sell the battery.

Justice Geoffrey Morawetz was told the motion for permission to restart the coke battery was brought as an emergency because the company must first stockpile coal and that has to be done before the Great Lakes freeze for the winter and the Welland Canal closes.

Adding extra urgency, the company said, was a ship carrying 30,000 tonnes of coal bound for the Lake Erie plant that could be redirected to Hamilton if permission was given Friday.

The company said keeping the Hamilton oven in "hot idle" — still being fed fuel so it could be brought back into production — costs $1.5 million a month. If a stream of revenue could be created to offset that cost the company would benefit and the oven itself would be kept healthy, possibly making it more appealing to a buyer.

Some buyers, the company added, are already "kicking the tires" of the coke plant.

"A conversion arrangement that keeps the HW Coke Plant in operation is expected to enhance any sale process by providing demonstrated operating performance and skilled and experienced staff, eliminating start-up costs and potentially, if desired by a buyer, providing existing customers for the coke output," the company said.

Allowing the oven to go cold, the company said, could make it impossible to sell because of the cost of restarting it.

The motion was not opposed.

U. S. Steel Canada sought creditor protection in September citing years of continued losses and the crippling cost of fully funding its pension plans.

It recently won court approval to start assessing its pension plans to determine just how under-funded they are.

If the company closes without enough money in the pension plans to meet future obligations, retirees could have their pensions cut by enough to eliminate the shortfall.

The company has also been given permission to look for a buyer or new investor for the Hamilton and Nanticoke plants.

Hamilton Spectator





Georgian College scholarship winner named

12/8 - Tim Westmorland, a 3rd year Navigation Cadet, at Georgian College Great Lakes International Marine Training and Research Centre, is the recipient of the G.O. Bough 2014, Scholarship, presented by the Canadian Company of Master Mariners. He is presently on a 60-day trans-Pacific delivery voyage from Nantong China to Montreal, Canada, via the Panama Canal, on board the CWB Marquis, Canada’s newest St. Lawrence Seaway-Max ship.

Capt. Seann O’Donoughue





Lookback #386 – Merle M. McCurdy in collision while being overtaken in Lake St. Clair on Dec. 8, 1974

The only time I saw the Merle M. McCurdy underway was up bound at Point Edward on Aug. 24, 1980. The vessel was in a real battle with the current as it laboriously tried to reach Lake Huron. Finally it hit the open water and headed north for another load of grain.

The Merle M. McCurdy operated until Nov. 19, 1985, when the 601 foot long steamer tied up at Buffalo, NY. The ship had spent its final years working in the Kinsman fleet after service United States Steel as William B. Dickson from 1910, when it was completed at Ecorse, MI, until 1968 when it was sold while laid up at Lorain, Ohio. The bulk carrier had been there since Nov. 16, 1960, when it ended its sailing days for the “Steel Trust”.

My next glimpse of the Merle M. McCurdy was at Ashtabula, Ohio, on Dec. 30, 1987. The ship had arrived there under tow of the tug Ohio on Dec. 14, 1987, and was being readied for dismantling.

However, the plan was changed and the vintage steamer was resold to International Marine Salvage of Port Colborne and I made the trip to see it there on July 18, 1988. It had arrived under tow of the Glenevis, assisted by Michael D. Misner, on June 11. The dismantling of the hull had begun on July 13 and the work then proceeded quickly. Soon the vessel's steel was being fed to a blast furnace for recycling.

The ship had a generally profitable and uneventful career. An exception was 40-years ago today when the Merle M. McCurdy, down bound in Lake St. Clair and about opposite Grosse Pointe Farms, was overtaken from behind by her former U.S. Steel running mate Philip R. Clarke. The latter was also down bound and loaded at the time. It was estimated that repairs to the Merle M. McCurdy would cost $250,000. This work was done and gave the vessel an additional 11-years of service.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - December 8

On 08 December 1917, DESMOND (wooden propeller sand-sucker, 149 foot, 456 gross tons, built in 1892, at Port Huron, Michigan) sprang a leak off Michigan City, Indiana, during gale and then capsized within sight of the lighthouse at South Chicago, Illinois. Seven lives were lost. Six others were rescued by the tugs WILLIAM A. FIELD, GARY and NORTH HARBOR.

CANADIAN ENTERPRISE (Hull#65) was christened December 8, 1979, at St. Catharines, Ontario, by Port Weller Drydocks. Ltd.

JAMES DAVIDSON was laid up for the last time on December 8, 1969, at Toledo, Ohio.

MERLE M. McCURDY collided with U.S. Steel’s PHILIP R. CLARKE opposite Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan on Lake St. Clair, December 8, 1974.

On 8 December 1886, BELLE (2-mast wooden schooner, 61 foot, 40 gross tons, built in 1866, at Port Dalhousie, Ontario) burned while frozen in at anchor.

On 8 December 1854, WESTMORELAND (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 200 foot, 665 tons, built in 1853, at Cleveland, Ohio) was carrying supplies for Mackinac Island, including liquor and supposedly $100,000 in gold. She capsized in a storm due to the heavy seas and the weight of the thick ice on her superstructure. She sank in the Manitou Passage in Lake Michigan and dragged one of the loaded lifeboats down with her. 17 lives were lost. There were many attempts to find her and recover her cargo. Some reports indicate the wreck was found in 1874, however it was not discovered until 2010 by Ross Richardson.

1876: IRA CHAFFE was driven ashore in a severe snowstorm near the Chocolay River, Lake Superior, near Munising. All on board were saved and the ship was eventually released.

1909: Fire broke out in the hold of the CLARION off Southeast Shoal, Lake Erie. Six sailors who huddled on the stern were picked up in a daring rescue by the LEONARD C. HANNA the next day. Another 14 were lost when their lifeboat was swept away in the storm and one more perished when he went into the hold to fight the fire.

1909: W.C. RICHARDSON stranded on Waverley Shoal, 2 miles west of Buffalo. A storm had prevented entrance to Buffalo and the ship was riding out the weather on the lake. The hull had to by dynamited as a navigational hazard when salvage efforts failed. Five lives were lost.

1927: ALTADOC (i) stranded on the rocks of the Keweenaw Peninsula when the steering failed while upbound, in ballast, for Fort William. The hull could not be salvaged and it was cut up for scrap on location during World War Two.

1927: LAMBTON stranded on Parisienne Shoal, Lake Superior, with the loss of 2 lives. The engine was removed for the FERNIE and the hull salvaged in 1928 for further work as the barge c) SALVUS.

1963: FORT ALBANY sank in the St. Lawrence off Lanorie after a collision with the PROCYON, and five members of the crew were lost. Heavy fog persisted at the time. The hull was refloated in June 1964, taken to Sorel, and scrapped.

1971: HARMATTAN was attacked with missiles and gunfire by Indian Naval units south of Karachi, Pakistan, and heavily damaged. Seven sailors were killed and the ship was abandoned. It arrived at Karachi March 2, 1972, and was scrapped. The ship had been a Seaway trader earlier in 1971.

1982: The Liberian freighter GENIE came through the Seaway in 1972. It was badly damaged by an explosion and fire on this date while laid up the Seychelles Islands. The hull was taken to Karachi, Pakistan, and scrapped in 1985.

1983: AKTION, a Seaway trader for the first time in 1970, was laid up at Piraeus, Greece, as e) ELISA when fire broke out and the vessel was heavily damaged aft. The hull was towed into Aliaga, Turkey, in October 1984, and broken up for scrap.

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






Last year's thick ice coverage not expected this winter

12/7 - Sarnia, Ont. – After a record-breaking 2013-2014, ice conditions in the Lake Huron and the rest of the Great Lakes are forecast to return to normal this winter. Earlier this week, ice forecasters in Canada and the U.S. issued their seasonal outlook for winter 2014-2015 on the Great Lakes.

"Last year was a record for ice coverage," said Scott Weese, senior ice forecaster with the Canadian Ice Service.

"Lake Huron was at 100% coverage late in the season, but this year we're not expecting ice coverage to be as extensive."

Near normal temperatures are expected over Lake Huron this year between December and February, resulting in the forecast of near normal ice conditions on Huron, and other Great Lakes, according to Weese.

The forecast is a joint effort with the National Ice Centre in the U.S.

Cold temperatures and static weather patterns were the drivers of last year's experience with ice on the lakes, Weese said.

Ice shut down ferry service on the St. Clair River for an extended period, and backed up the start of the 2014 shipping season by a month.

"We had a persistent cold winter," Weese said. "We just didn't have any significant breaks in the cold pattern."

This year, the forecast is for moderation and variability in winter temperatures.

"We'll see cold outbreaks followed by warmer outbreaks, as we have in the past few weeks," Weese said. "That kind of variability tends to lead into a normal ice season."

The December forecast for the southern and eastern shore of Lake Huron is for generally open water with isolated patches of new ice forming along the shores near the end of the month.

Huron, Erie and Superior reached near 100% ice coverage last winter, Weese said.

Conditions over the season broke an ice record dating back to the winter of 1976-77, he said.

The shipping industry and coast guards in Canada and the U.S. are among those who make use of the forecasts and other information provided by the Canadian Ice Service.

Sarnia Observer





Lake Superior water level above long-term average

12/7 - Ironwood, Mich. – Lake Superior continues to rise, as above average precipitation has returned the level above long-term averages.

The lake continued its trend of above-normal water levels in November, although it dropped a typical 2 inches for the month. That's average for November, according to the International Lake Superior Board of Control.

The lake remained around 9 inches above its level of a year ago, thanks in large part to 11 straight months of above-normal water supply to the lake from increased precipitation and run-off, combined with low evaporation.

Lakes Michigan-Huron remained steady in November. The Dec. 1 level of the lakes is 7 inches above the long-term average and 21 inches higher than it was last year on Dec. 1.

The upper Great Lakes usually rise from April to August, then generally drop from September through March.

International Lake Superior Board of Control officials have been releasing more water than normal from Lake Superior to reduce potential high water problems in spring. Officials said the lake will probably drop, as normal, until spring.

At the end of October, the water level of Lake Superior was 10 to 11 inches higher than in October 2013 and 8 to 9 inches above the long-term normal.

Lake Superior stood at 602.74 feet above sea level on Oct. 31, 2014, compared to 602.65 feet at the start of the month and 601.86 a year ago.

The October high was 603.38 in 1985, while the low was 600.72 in 1925.

The National Weather Service office in Marquette said Lake Michigan and Lake Huron levels were above average in October for the first time since late 1998.

"Even though water levels typically fall slowly in October, above normal precipitation across the upper Great Lakes and surrounding areas the last couple of months has contributed to greater run-off," said Kevin Crupi, of the weather service's Marquette office.

Ironwood Daily Globe





Port Reports - December 7

Lorain, Ohio – Phil Leon
Algorail was in port on Saturday, unloading at the Jonick dock.

Buffalo. N.Y. – Brian W.
American Mariner pulled in and tied up to unload wheat at the Frontier Elevator at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The tug Sharon M I departed the Gateway Metroport terminal in Lackawanna around 7a.m. Friday.

Prescott, Ont. – Joanne N. Crack
Friday night the upbound Andean went through heading to Hamilton. The upbound Cedarglen sailed through at 3:29am headed to Sarnia, and Cuyahoga at 3:46am headed to Hamilton. At 4:02pm the Algoma Progress sailed up, also headed to Hamilton, meeting the Florijngracht coming down to Matan - Gaspé at 4:07pm. Baie St. Paul, loaded with 28,000 tonnes of soybean from Port of Johnstown, Ont., departed at 4:25pm, headed up below Windmill Point to make a turn, and head back down to Quebec City. Expected Saturday evening and night are the downbounders Esta Desgagnes and Atlantic Power, both to Montreal. Three upbound ships were delayed below Snell Lock throughout the day. Vega Desgagnes and Lugano both to Hamilton, Ont. and CSL’s Thunder Bay heading to Duluth, are expect through Saturday night as well. Early Sunday morning the Algoeast is expected to come up to Nanticoke. Manitoba is expected down from Hamilton into the Port of Johnstown Monday.





Obituary: Captain Bruce M. Hudec

12/7 - Captain Bruce M. Hudec passed away Friday morning, December 5. He helmed the Goodtime II and the Goodtime III sightseeing passenger vessels of Cleveland, Ohio. He saw several million passengers up and down the Cuyahoga River during his more than 43 years of tenure with the Goodtime Cruise Line, and worked tirelessly to preserve the history of the lake and river front.

He was a raconteur, artist, historian, and friend to all. He will be missed and fondly remembered by an immense family that includes fellow Great Lakes captains, crew, bridge operators, innumerable passengers, and countless others who had the privilege of crossing paths with him.

Calling Hours are at Jakubs & Son Funeral Home; 936 E 185th St, Cleveland, OH 44119. Tuesday, December 9 from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. with a Memorial Service immediately following. A Cremation Burial will be at 3 p.m. Friday, December 12 at Riverside Cemetery, 3607 Pearl Rd, Cleveland, OH 44109.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Euclid Animal Shelter, 25100 Lakeland Blvd. Euclid, Ohio 44132.





Lookback #385 – Easthampton was the last saltie out of the Seaway for the season on Dec. 7, 1962

The former T-2 tanker Easthampton had only recently been converted to a bulk carrier at the time it entered the Seaway late in the 1962 season. The work, which also involved lengthening the steamer, was carried out at Emden, West Germany.

The vessel had been a product of the Sun Shipbuilding Co. and it was launched at Chester, Pa., as James Island on April 4, 1944. It was able to assist the war effort as a fuel carrier for a little over a year before the hard-earned peace was established.

In the postwar era, the ship was sold to J.M. Carras Inc. and renamed Alexandra in 1945 and became Amanda in 1955. It sailed as an American flag tanker under the first name but was registered in Liberia under the latter. The same flag was retained when it became Lyra in 1961.

The vessel returned to American registry as Easthampton in 1962 and rebuilt as a bulk carrier. While on the lakes, the vessel took on a cargo of arms and heavy equipment for India and managed to leave just before the Seaway system closed for the year. This was the latest closing of the system in this the fourth year of operation.

Easthampton was sold and renamed Merrimac in 1965 but that ship did not enter the Great Lakes until 1978. It was sold to shipbreakers in Bangladesh in 1982 and arrived at Chittagong for dismantling on Dec. 10 of that year. The then 39-year-old vessel was broken up in 1983 by Gumti Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.

Skip Gillham





Today in Great Lakes History - December 7

On 07 December 1893, the hull of the burned steamer MASCOTTE (steel ferry, 103 foot, 137 gross tons, built in 1885, at Wyandotte, Michigan) was towed from New Baltimore to Detroit by the tug LORMAN for repairs. She was rebuilt and put back in service. She went through nine owners in a career that finally ended with another fire in Chicago in 1934.

In 1990, the ENERCHEM LAKER was sold to Environment Protection Services, Inc., Panama and departed Montreal on December 7, 1990, for off-lakes service with the new name d) RECOVERY VIII. Built for Hall Corp. of Canada as a.) ROCKCLIFFE HALL, converted to a tanker renamed b.) ISLAND TRANSPORT in 1985, and c.) ENERCHEM LAKER in 1986. Renamed e.) MORGAN TRADER in 1993, and currently serves as a bunkering tanker in Suez, Egypt as f.) ANNA II, renamed in 1997.

The LEADALE, a.) JOHN A. KLING sank in the Welland Canal on December 7, 1982, and was declared a constructive total loss.

The GEORGE R. FINK, under tow, arrived at Gandia, Spain prior to December 7, 1973, for scrapping.

W. W. HOLLOWAY was laid up December 7, 1981, for the last time in Toledo’s Frog Pond.

On December 7, 1932, the MARQUIS ROEN caught fire at Meacher's dock at Bay City, and before the fire was brought under control, the cabins and after end were destroyed.

Captain John Roen of the Roen Steamship Co. died on December 7, 1970.

On December 7, 1906, the R. L. IRELAND stranded on Gull Island in the Apostle Islands, Lake Superior. PERCIVAL ROBERTS JR. (Hull#398) was launched December 7, 1912, for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co at Lorain, Ohio by the American Ship Building Co.

The steel side-wheel passenger steamer EASTERN STATES (Hull#144) was launched on December 7, 1901, by the Detroit Shipbuilding Company for the Detroit and Buffalo Steamship Company.

The railcar ferry ANN ARBOR NO 2 (Hull#56), was launched on December 7, 1892 at Toledo, Ohio by Craig Ship Building Co. Sold in 1914 and cut down to a barge, renamed b.) WHALE in 1916, abandoned in 1927.

In 1906, the ANN ARBOR NO 4 arrived Frankfort on her maiden voyage.

On 7 December 1894, KEWEENAW (steel steamer, 291 foot, 2511 gross tons, built in 1891, at W. Bay City, Michigan) was seen groping toward the coast of the State of Washington in a severe gale. With distress signals flying, she put back to sea and foundered. She was built by F. W. Wheeler (Hull #73) for saltwater service. Built in two pieces, she was towed down the St. Lawrence and reassembled at Montreal.

On 7 December 1866, M. BALLARD (2-mast wooden schooner, 116 foot, 288 tons, built in 1855, at Cleveland, Ohio) was lost with all hands in a storm on Lake Ontario.

The wooden propeller bulk freighter MORLEY was launched at Marine City on 7 December 1878. She was on the stocks for two years and was built for the Morley Brothers and Hill. She was a double decker with side arches between decks with iron straps. She also had iron trusses running through the center. Her boiler was on the main deck and she had the engine from the tug WM PRINGLE. She had three spars, a centerboard, and could carry 45,000 bushels of grain.

1909: MARQUETTE & BESSEMER NO. 2 disappeared with all hands in the overnight hours of December 7-8 while crossing Lake Erie from Conneaut to Port Stanley with 30 loaded railway cars. The hull has never been located.

1912: The whaleback BARGE 134 was operating on the East Coast as b) BANGOR when it stranded and broke up near Hampton Roads, Va. The hull was salvaged by blasting and dredging in 1975.

1917: SIMCOE, of the Canadian Department of Marine & Fisheries, left the Great Lakes earlier in the fall for new work on the Bay of Fundy. It sent out an S.O.S. that it was sinking in heavy seas and the ship was never seen again. The only trace was a lifering that came ashore at Sable Island. There were 44 on board.

1927: KAMLOOPS, inbound for the Canadian Lakehead, disappeared with all hands overnight December 6-7. The hull was finally found by divers off 12 O'Clock Point, Isle Royale, in 1977.

1927: AGAWA stranded on Advance Reef, Georgian Bay along the south shore of Manitoulin Island. It spent the winter aground and was not released until Nay 16, 1928. The hull had been declared a total loss but was rebuilt at Collingwood as the ROBERT P. DURHAM and then later sailed as c) HERON BAY (i).

1927: The first MARTIAN went aground off Hare Island, Lake Superior and was not released until December 14.

1929: ULVA sank in the ice at Port Colborne but was raised, refitted and returned to service in 1930. The British built freighter operated between Maritime Canada and the Great Lakes until about 1939. It was torpedoed and sunk by U-60 northwest of Ireland on September 3, 1940.

1941: The tanker MAKAWELI was reported to be anchored at Pearl Harbor during the infamous Japanese attack and damaged. The ship was built at Ashtabula as COWEE in 1919 and returned to the Great Lakes for Lakeland Tankers in 1946.

1967: FIR HILL, a Seaway trader in 1961, went aground off Yasuoka, Japan, as d) UNIVERSAL CRUSADER. It was lightered and released but sold for scrap and broken up at Hirao, Japan, in 1968. 1969: The bulk carrier PETITE HERMINE and TEXACO CHIEF (ii) collided in fog near Prescott and both ships had slight damage. The former became c) CANADIAN HUNTER while the latter last operated on the lakes as c) ALGONOVA (i).

1976: The Liberian flag bulk carrier UNIMAR grounded leaving Thunder Bay with a cargo of grain and was not released until December 15.

1976: HARRY L. ALLEN of the Kinsman fleet went aground in Lake St. Clair, near St. Clair, Mich., and was held fast in the ice before being freed by tugs.

1982: LEADALE (ii) finished unloading salt at Thorold and backed into a concrete dolphin while departing the dock. A hole was punched in the hull and the ship sank while trying to get back to the dock. LEADALE was refloated December 19, towed to Port Colborne and scrapped by Marine Salvage in 1983. 1983: UNISOL had been docked at Chandler, Que., to load newsprint but left to ride out an approaching storm after being pounded against the dock. The ship ran aground while outbound and the crew was saved by a Canadian Forces helicopter. The vessel, noted as the first Peruvian flag freighter to transit the Seaway earlier that year, broke up in the storm.

1983: The Norwegian freighter WOODVILLE began visiting the Great Lakes in 1962. It ran aground near Palau Mungging, Malaysia, enroute from Bangkok, Thailand, to Malacca, Malaysia, as d) PETER RICH and was abandoned as a total loss.

1989: CAPITAINE TORRES, enroute from the Great Lakes, got caught in a vicious storm on the Gulf of St. Lawrence on December 7-8 after the cargo shifted. All 23 on board were lost when the ship went down.

2005: ZIEMIA LODZKA collided with and sank the VERTIGO in shallow water in the Great Belt off Denmark. All were saved. The former began Great Lake trading in 1992.

2010: The passenger ship CLELIA II, a Great Lakes visitor in 2009, was hit by a monstrous wave in the Antarctic Ocean smashing the pilothouse window and damaging electronic equipment. The vessel made Ushusia, Argentina, safely and only one member of the crew had a minor injury.