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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Sept 7, 2015 5:16:14 GMT -5
9/7 - Duluth, Minn. – In her visit to the Port of Duluth-Superior last week, Betty Sutton singled out the port’s coal exports as one of its shining international success stories.
“Midwest Energy Resources Co., a major coal dock in Superior, handles low sulfur coal from the Powder River Basin, while Canadian lakers pick up and transload coal shipments along the seaway for export to Europe,” said Sutton, the top administrator for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., which manages the narrow waterway that connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.
She was describing a deal that was in place from 2011 to 2014, when Midwest Energy Resources, or MERC, partnered with Quebec Stevedoring’s Beauport Sector dock in Quebec City to develop a supply mechanism for customers of American coal in Northern Europe.
MERC President Fred Shusterich said that deal has since expired, with no replacement in place. It means 2015 won’t feature the same 1.69 million tons of coal being exported out of Duluth that 2014 did.
But it doesn’t mean the end of the practice altogether, said Shusterich, who was on hand for Sutton’s visit to the Duluth Seaway Port Authority’s offices.
“The market is somewhat flat, but we’re looking for re-entry in probably a year or two,” he said. “The energy market is in flux.”
From 2011 to 2014, freighters were leaving Duluth with 85,000 to 130,000 tons of coal, which was then transloaded in Quebec City onto salties bound for Rotterdam in the Netherlands or for the Baltic region, explained Shusterich, who is confident Duluth hasn’t seen the last of its coal exports.
“I can’t tell you when, but in a couple of years,” he said. “Everything in this business is cyclical. We’re always reformulating what we do. We have some customers looking at (exports) that have never been in our portfolio before, but they look to play a major role in our business in the next several years.”
Like in the United States, where coal has taken a substantive hit in the move toward clean energy, government imposition and price changes can play havoc on foreign markets, too. MERC has worked feverishly throughout the new energy revolution to upgrade its coal standards, including the addition of a number of infrastructural and best-practice measures to reduce dust to a minimum at its dock.
“People think all coal is dirty,” Shusterich said before describing the mountains of coal from the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming on the MERC dock as being distinguished by its low sulfur content — from 0.1-0.3 percent sulfur.
“That’s really low,” he said. “People think all coal is dirty, but everything you burn gives off carbon dioxide.”
In Japan, Shusterich said, the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster has led to idling plants and diminishing capacity for that form of energy and resulted in more coal burning. He called Germany a huge market for coal.
Western coal from Wyoming, Montana and even Colorado is some of the cleanest in the world and has a viable future in the United States, Shusterich said. Domestic coal shipments on the Great Lakes are on their way to enjoying a five-year high, with 5.96 million tons having already moved through Lake Superior alone — a through-July number that eclipses full-season totals for each of the three previous years.
“Even in this country we’ll go from (coal) as a 51 percent baseload fuel to somewhere in the high 30s,” Shusterich said. “It still has to be one-third of the portfolio but people don’t talk about that.”
Duluth News Tribune
9/7 - In eary September four buoys near the Mackinac Bridge started appearing on AIS maps. It is believed these are the first synthetic AIS Aids to Navigation to be established on the lakes. There is no AIS transmitter on the buoys. Instead a virtual signal is broadcast from a nearby AIS base station.
The details below are from a recent notice to mariners:
Straits of Mackinac - De Tour Passage to Waugoshance Point - Chart 14881 The following aids to navigation are scheduled to become Synthetic AIS ATON beginning late summer 2015. Synthetic AIS ATON is a signal broadcasted from an AIS base station to coincide with an existing physical aid to navigation. During periods when the aids are decommissioned for the season as advertised in the light list these aids will become Virtual AIS ATON. Virtual AIS ATON is a signal broadcasted from an AIS base station that is electronically charted, but non-existent as a physical aid to navigation.
Mackinac Bridge Lighted Bell Buoy "1" (LLNR 12625)
Mackinac Bridge Lighted Gong Buoy "2" (LLNR 12630)
Mackinac Bridge Lighted Bell Buoy "3" (LLNR 12645)
Mackinac Bridge Lighted Gong Buoy "4" (LLNR 12650)
September 8, 1936, the Interlake steamer CRETE and the Pittsburgh steamer CORNELL collided in heavy fog above Whitefish Point. After temporary repairs were made in the Weitzel lock, the CRETE proceeded to Chicago Shipbuilding to repair a damaged bow. The CORNELL proceeded to Manitowoc to repair damage to her starboard side just forward of her boiler house.
On September 8,1868, HIPPOCAMPUS (wooden propeller, 152 tons, built in 1867, at St. Joseph, Michigan) stranded in a storm off St. Joseph and was pounded to pieces. 36 of the 41 passengers were lost. Litigation continued until November 10,1884, when the owner was held innocent of blame in the U. S. Court at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
GEMINI (Hull#745) sailed on her maiden voyage in August, 1978, from Levingston Shipbuilding Co., at Orange, Texas, to load fuel oil at Baytown, Texas, for delivery at Detroit, Michigan. Passing up bound the next month on September 8 through the Welland Canal, GEMINI became the largest U.S. flagged tanker on the Great Lakes with a capacity of 76,000 barrels. GEMINI was renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 2005.
The W. E. FITZGERALD (Hull#167) was launched September 8, 1906, at Wyandotte, Michigan, by Detroit Ship Building Co. for the Chicago Navigation Co., Chicago, Illinois (D. Sullivan, mgr.).
The bulk freighter HENRY A. HAWGOOD was launched on September 8, 1906, at Cleveland, Ohio, by the American Ship Building Co. for Minerva Steamship Co. (W. A. & H.A. Hawgood, mgr.), Cleveland. Renamed b.) C. RUSSELL HUBBARD in 1912, and c.) W. W. HOLLOWAY in 1935.
RADIANT departed the shipyard September 8, 1913, light on her maiden voyage bound for Montreal, Quebec.
September 8, 1970 - MILWAUKEE CLIPPER made her last run from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
On September 8, 1985, the downbound the Panamanian NORCHEM collided with the upbound CANADIAN PROSPECTOR near Kanawake, Quebec. PROSPECTOR had little damage but NORCHEM was ripped open near her port anchor.
On September 8,1885, ADVANCE (wooden schooner, 119 foot, 180 gross tons, built in 1853, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was carrying wood when she became waterlogged and capsized in a gale and blinding rain near Port Washington, Wisconsin, in Lake Michigan. All but one of her crew of seven drowned when her yawl capsized in the surf.
On September 8,1871, the schooner MORNING LIGHT was sailing from Kelley's Island on Lake Erie with a cargo of stone for Marquette, Michigan, in heavy weather. Trying to enter the Detroit River, the crew miscalculated their position and ran the ship aground on Pointe Mouille, just below Gibraltar. The crew scuttled the vessel in the shallow water to save her from harm. The following day, the tug GEORGE N. BRADY was sent out with steam pumps and hawsers and the MORNING LIGHT was raised and towed to Detroit for repairs.
1860: The wooden passenger and freight steamer LADY ELGIN sank in Lake Michigan following a collision with the schooner AUGUSTA with an estimated 297 lost their lives.
1979: The Norwegian carrier INGWI first came through the Seaway in 1960 and made about 10 trips inland through 1967. The hull was reported to have fractured as b) OH DAI enroute from Singapore to Calcutta. The ship foundered in the Bay of Bengal but there was speculation at the time that this was an insurance fraud.
1980: The idle rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS sustained fire damage from a blaze in the pilings at Muskegon, buckling plates on the car deck. It was extinguished by the U.S.C.G. and Fire Department. On September 6, 1989, the twin-screw rail car ferry GRAND RAPIDS left Muskegon, Michigan, in tow of the tugs ANGLIAN LADY and PRINCESS NO 1, and arrived at Port Maitland, Ontario, on September 11th. Scrapping was completed in the fall of 1994.
2010: The tug MESSENGER came to the Great Lakes for the Gaelic Tugboat Co. in 1984 and was renamed b) PATRICIA HOEY. It was later sold and became c) NEW HAMPSHIRE and then d) SEA TRACTOR II before leaving the lakes, via Oswego, about 1991. It was known as e) SHARK when scuttled as an artificial reef near Miami, on this date in 2010.
On September 6,1872, nine days after she set sail from Port Colborne for Detroit, the schooner J. W. SARGENT was listed as missing in the Detroit newspapers, probably a victim of a August 29 storm that struck Lake Erie. Later on the same day that the newspaper announcement was published, the SARGENT arrived in Detroit. Captain William Simms stated that the storm drove him south to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he sheltered for a few days. He sent a telegraph message to the ship's owner but the news was not relayed to Detroit. The SARGENT only lasted another three months. In November 1872, a storm got her on Lake Erie.
The BADGER was launched on September 6, 1952, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. A christening ceremony included the SPARTAN (launched earlier that year). The BADGER was named in honor of the University of Wisconsin. The BADGER was built by Christy Corporation, and is powered by two Skinner 4 cylinder Steeple Compound Uniflow Marine Steam engines, developing over 7,000 horsepower. She was the last of the large, coal-fired steamers to be built in the United States, and the only ship of her type still operating on the Great Lakes. The BADGER offers seasonal passenger service from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, from mid May to early October.
BELLE RIVER began her maiden voyage when she loaded 56,073 long tons of western coal at Superior, Wisconsin, on August 31, 1977, and arrived at Detroit Edison Co.'s Belle River power plant at Recors Point on September 6, 1977. Renamed in 1990, she sails today as b.) WALTER J. McCARTHY, JR.
On September 6, 1992, H. LEE WHITE was in tow of the "G" tugs COLORADO and LOUISIANA entering the Trenton Channel when she struck a section of the toll bridge at Grosse Ile, Michigan, knocking down a 150 foot span immediately east of the main river channel. The WHITE was not damaged but a new section of the bridge had to be installed at a cost of $1.7 million. The bridge was back in service in late January 1993. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated this casualty and their report states that it was the failure of the bridge tender to operate and open the bridge that caused this casualty. The Coast Guard found that the master of the WHITE was operating his vessel in a prudent and lawful manner including the use of whistle signals.
CHARLES E. WILSON completed her sea trials in 1973. Renamed b.) JOHN J. BOLAND in 2000.
GEORGIAN BAY collided with the steamer CHARLES HUBBARD in the fog-covered lower St. Marys River September 6, 1955.
On September 6, 1887, BLUE BELL (2-mast wooden scow-schooner, 84 foot, 122 gross tons, built in 1867, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was carrying lumber from Wilt's Bay, Michigan, to Milwaukee when she missed the harbor entrance at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in a storm. She was driven ashore where she broke up. Her crew made it to the beach with the aid of the local U.S. Life Saving crew. The total loss was valued at $5,000.
On September 6,1871, the wooden schooner ROSA STEARNS, loaded with coal, was battling a storm for hours off Cleveland, Ohio. The ship was driven on the stone breakwater about 1 a.m. and was pounded to pieces. The crew jumped onto the breakwater and crawled to safety as the waves crashed over them.
1908: The wooden steamer CHAUNCY HURLBUT began leaking and was beached at Whitefish Point, Lake Superior, along a rough and rocky shore. It became a total loss and the hull was removed in August 1910 and sunk in deep water.
2009: ALGOPORT ran into heavy weather from tropical storm DeJuan while under tow of the PACIFIC HICKORY, broke up and sank in the Philippine Sea about a week's tow from the destination of Jiangyin, China.
September 5, 1899, the DOUGLASS HOUGHTON grounded at Sailors Encampment and sank when rammed by her barge, JOHN FRITZ. The HOUGHTON completely blocked St. Marys River traffic for five days. More than 300 boats were delayed at an estimated loss of $600,000.
On 05 September 1898, the MONTGOMERY (wooden schooner-barge, 204 foot, 709 tons, built in 1856, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan as a passenger/package freight steamer) sank in 21 feet of water on Lake St. Clair after colliding with the whaleback barge 137 (steel barge, 345 foot, 2,480 gross tons, built in 1896, at W. Superior, Wisconsin) which was being towed by the ALEXANDER McDOUGALL (steel propeller semi-whaleback freighter, 413 foot, 3,686 gross tons, built in 1898, at West Superior, Wisconsin). The MONTGOMERY was raised and repaired. She lasted another two years before breaking up in a storm in 1901.
CHI-CHEEMAUN completed her sea trials on September 5, 1974, and then cleared the Collingwood shipyard on September 26th.
BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS cleared Lorain on her maiden voyage September 5, 1942 for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.
J. P. MORGAN, JR. returned to service September 5, 1948, after repairs suffered in an accident in June.
NEW QUEDOC arrived at McLouth Steel, Trenton, Michigan, on her maiden voyage September 5, 1960, with a load of Labrador iron ore. Renamed b.) QUEDOC in 1963. QUEDOC was scrapped at Curacao Island, Lesser Antilles in 1985.
The WYANDOTTE of 1916, a.) CONNEAUT, was towed down the Welland Canal on September 5- 6, 1973, on her way to the cutter’s torch at Santander, Spain.
On 5 September 1905, ABERCORN (wooden propeller 'rabbit', 126 foot, 261 gross tons, built in 1873, at Marine City, Michigan) burned at the dock at Goderich, Ontario, while unloading coal. She reportedly caught fire from the explosion of a signal lamp.
The schooner CALEDONIA, wrecked the previous autumn near the Fishing Islands on Lake Huron, was raised and arrived in Port Huron, Michigan, on September 5, 1882, under tow to be rebuilt.
1896: The Canadian passenger ship BALTIC, built in 1867 as FRANCES SMITH, burned at the dock in Collingwood. The hull drifted to shallow water and remained there for several years.
1964: A. & J. MID-AMERICA, a Seaway caller in 1963, was driven ashore at Lantau Island near Hong Kong by typhoon Ruby. The vessel was refloated October 5 but came ashore again days later during typhoon Dot on October 13. Refloated October 21, the vessel returned to service and was scrapped as e) UNION TIGER at Inchon, South Korea, after arriving in April 1968.
1964: The former HEMSEFJELL, a pre-Seaway trader, was also blown aground at Hong Kong as d) PROSPERITY during typhoon Ruby but released on October 5. It was scrapped in Thailand during 1972.
1964: The three-year old bulk carrier LEECLIFFE HALL sank in the St. Lawrence, 65 miles below Quebec City, following a collision with the APOLLONIA. Efforts to beach the ship failed and three lives were lost. The hull was dynamited as a hazard to navigation in 1966. The latter, a Greek freighter, had been a Seaway trader in 1964 and was repaired at Levis, QC. The ship was scrapped at Shanghai, China, as c) MAYFAIR after arriving on May 3, 1985.
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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Sept 9, 2015 6:01:45 GMT -5
USS Milwaukee damages more than 40 boats over Labor Day weekend
9/9 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – The U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Natural Resources are investigating a Labor Day weekend incident in Door County’s Chambers Island that damaged more than 40 boats.
Witnesses said on Saturday at least 100 boats were docked near the Northern Cove of Chambers Island when a large naval ship from Marinette Marine did a test run, creating waves that were higher than five feet tall.
The Coast Guard confirmed that the ship was the USS Milwaukee, a 378-foot-long Freedom-Class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).
When it passed, videos show people struggling to keep their boats from tipping. One boater told the local news that his anchor lines snapped from being tossed up and around, bouncing on the surge. Many boat tie-ups (several boats roped together) collided with one another, causing scratching, damage and flooding.
One boater said the worst thing “was the fear that came with it”—families with young kids rushing them to shore, and at least four Mayday radio calls. A woman badly injured her knee while trying to help control the boat, and later went to the Oconto Hospital and Medical Center. Door County EMS said they did not transport anyone to the emergency room.
Marinette Marine responded to request for comment saying they are aware of the incident. “Of course, our first and foremost priority is the safety and wellbeing of the boaters and bystanders and we are fully cooperating with authorities investigating the incident,” said Bethany Skorik of Marinette Marine.
The US Coast Guard and DNR have started a joint investigation. Chris Groth of the DNR explained that his department is responsible for recreational boaters, and the Coast Guard is responsible all commercial vessels.
One of the boaters told us there were at least 40 incident reports filed with the DNR when he went to file a report himself. He said Marinette Marine indicated they will work with insurance companies, adding it’s “unlikely” any of these boaters will end up paying out-of-pocket for the damage to their boats.
WBAY
On 09 September 1889, the FOLGER (wooden propeller wrecking tug, 69 foot, 64 gross tons, built in 1881, at Kingston, Ontario) was sailing upbound past St. Clair, Michigan when fire was discovered in her engine room. Her wheelsman stuck to his post as long as possible, trying to beach her at Courtright, Ontario, but the flames engulfed the vessel and all hands had to abandon her.
September 9, 1936. For the second consecutive day, boats of the Interlake and Pittsburgh fleets collided. The SATURN collided with the HENRY H. ROGERS in heavy fog above Whitefish Bay. The SATURN continued upbound to repair damage at Superior Shipbuilding. The ROGERS continued downbound to South Chicago where the anchor of the SATURN was removed from the Mate's starboard cabin.
September 9, 1940, the steamer MARITANA, Captain Charles E. Butler, went to anchor in Whitefish Bay due to weather. When they retrieved their anchor the next day, they also recovered a second anchor. The second anchor had an oak stock 12 feet across and 17 inches in diameter. The 8 foot forged metal shank was stamped with a date of 1806.
On 09 September 1886, GENERAL WOLSELEY (wooden side-wheel steamer, 103 foot, 123 tons, built in 1884, at Oakville, Ontario) caught fire on her way to Dyer's Bay, Ontario. She was run ashore for the crew to escape near Cape Croker on Georgian Bay and burned to the water's edge.
The WOLVERINE (Hull#903) was launched September 9, 1974, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Union Commerce Bank (Ohio), Trustee (Oglebay Norton Co., mgr.), Cleveland, Ohio.
DETROIT EDISON (Hull#418) was launched September 9, 1954, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin by Manitowoc Ship Building Co. for the American Steamship Co. (Boland & Cornelius, mgr.) Buffalo, New York.
The Steamer PERE MARQUETTE 18 sank on September 9, 1910, with a loss of 29 lives. No cause for the sinking has ever been determined. The PERE MARQUETTE 17 picked up 33 survivors, losing 2 of her own crew during the rescue.
The first of two fires suffered by the Grand Trunk carferry GRAND RAPIDS occurred on September 9, 1980. The cause of the fire was not determined.
On 9 September 1929, the ANDASTE (steel propeller self-unloading sandsucker, 247 foot, built in 1892, at Cleveland, Ohio) was probably overloaded with gravel when she 'went missing' west of Holland, Michigan. The entire crew of 25 was lost. When built, she was the sister of the 'semi-whaleback' CHOCTAW, but was shortened 20 feet in 1920-21, to allow her to use the Welland Canal.
On 9 September 1871, Captain Hicks of the schooner A H MOSS fired the mate, a popular fellow, in a fit of anger the same time that a tug arrived to tow the schooner out of Cleveland harbor. The crew was upset to say the least, and when the towline was cast off and Capt. Hicks ordered the sails hoisted, the crew refused to do any work. The skipper finally raised the signal flags and had the tug tow his vessel back into the harbor. When the MOSS dropped anchor, he fired the entire crew then went ashore to hire another crew.
The ROY A. JODREY (Hull#186) was launched in 1965, at Collingwood, Ontario by Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. for Algoma Central Railway Ltd.
1924: A fire aboard the ship SOUTH AMERICAN at Holland, MI destroyed the upper works of the popular passenger steamer.
1964: A collision between the GEORGE R. FINK and the Swedish freighter BROHOLM occurred in zero visibility on Lake Huron just north of the Bluewater Bridge. The latter, on her only voyage through the Seaway, received a gash on the starboard side above the waterline while the former had only minor damage. BROHOLM arrived at Hsinkang, China, for scrapping as d) PROODOS on September 2, 1974.
1977: The British freighter PERTH began service to Canada in 1951 and ooperated into the Great Lakes until 1960. The ship ran aground about 200 miles south of Suez as e) GEORGIOS on this date but was later refloated and taken to Suez. The ship was arrested there and subsequently sank on October 1, 1979. The hull was likely refloated and dismantled at that location.
1993: INDIANA HARBOR received major hull damage when it struck Lansing Shoal. The ship was repaired at Sturgeon Bay.
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Post by skycheney on Sept 9, 2015 13:41:15 GMT -5
USS Milwaukee damages more than 40 boats over Labor Day weekend
9/9 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – The U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Natural Resources are investigating a Labor Day weekend incident in Door County’s Chambers Island that damaged more than 40 boats.
Witnesses said on Saturday at least 100 boats were docked near the Northern Cove of Chambers Island when a large naval ship from Marinette Marine did a test run, creating waves that were higher than five feet tall.
The Coast Guard confirmed that the ship was the USS Milwaukee, a 378-foot-long Freedom-Class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).
When it passed, videos show people struggling to keep their boats from tipping. One boater told the local news that his anchor lines snapped from being tossed up and around, bouncing on the surge. Many boat tie-ups (several boats roped together) collided with one another, causing scratching, damage and flooding.
One boater said the worst thing “was the fear that came with it”—families with young kids rushing them to shore, and at least four Mayday radio calls. A woman badly injured her knee while trying to help control the boat, and later went to the Oconto Hospital and Medical Center. Door County EMS said they did not transport anyone to the emergency room.
Marinette Marine responded to request for comment saying they are aware of the incident. “Of course, our first and foremost priority is the safety and wellbeing of the boaters and bystanders and we are fully cooperating with authorities investigating the incident,” said Bethany Skorik of Marinette Marine.
The US Coast Guard and DNR have started a joint investigation. Chris Groth of the DNR explained that his department is responsible for recreational boaters, and the Coast Guard is responsible all commercial vessels.
One of the boaters told us there were at least 40 incident reports filed with the DNR when he went to file a report himself. He said Marinette Marine indicated they will work with insurance companies, adding it’s “unlikely” any of these boaters will end up paying out-of-pocket for the damage to their boats.
WBAY On 09 September 1889, the FOLGER (wooden propeller wrecking tug, 69 foot, 64 gross tons, built in 1881, at Kingston, Ontario) was sailing upbound past St. Clair, Michigan when fire was discovered in her engine room. Her wheelsman stuck to his post as long as possible, trying to beach her at Courtright, Ontario, but the flames engulfed the vessel and all hands had to abandon her. September 9, 1936. For the second consecutive day, boats of the Interlake and Pittsburgh fleets collided. The SATURN collided with the HENRY H. ROGERS in heavy fog above Whitefish Bay. The SATURN continued upbound to repair damage at Superior Shipbuilding. The ROGERS continued downbound to South Chicago where the anchor of the SATURN was removed from the Mate's starboard cabin. September 9, 1940, the steamer MARITANA, Captain Charles E. Butler, went to anchor in Whitefish Bay due to weather. When they retrieved their anchor the next day, they also recovered a second anchor. The second anchor had an oak stock 12 feet across and 17 inches in diameter. The 8 foot forged metal shank was stamped with a date of 1806. On 09 September 1886, GENERAL WOLSELEY (wooden side-wheel steamer, 103 foot, 123 tons, built in 1884, at Oakville, Ontario) caught fire on her way to Dyer's Bay, Ontario. She was run ashore for the crew to escape near Cape Croker on Georgian Bay and burned to the water's edge. The WOLVERINE (Hull#903) was launched September 9, 1974, at Lorain, Ohio by American Ship Building Co. for the Union Commerce Bank (Ohio), Trustee (Oglebay Norton Co., mgr.), Cleveland, Ohio. DETROIT EDISON (Hull#418) was launched September 9, 1954, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin by Manitowoc Ship Building Co. for the American Steamship Co. (Boland & Cornelius, mgr.) Buffalo, New York. The Steamer PERE MARQUETTE 18 sank on September 9, 1910, with a loss of 29 lives. No cause for the sinking has ever been determined. The PERE MARQUETTE 17 picked up 33 survivors, losing 2 of her own crew during the rescue. The first of two fires suffered by the Grand Trunk carferry GRAND RAPIDS occurred on September 9, 1980. The cause of the fire was not determined. On 9 September 1929, the ANDASTE (steel propeller self-unloading sandsucker, 247 foot, built in 1892, at Cleveland, Ohio) was probably overloaded with gravel when she 'went missing' west of Holland, Michigan. The entire crew of 25 was lost. When built, she was the sister of the 'semi-whaleback' CHOCTAW, but was shortened 20 feet in 1920-21, to allow her to use the Welland Canal. On 9 September 1871, Captain Hicks of the schooner A H MOSS fired the mate, a popular fellow, in a fit of anger the same time that a tug arrived to tow the schooner out of Cleveland harbor. The crew was upset to say the least, and when the towline was cast off and Capt. Hicks ordered the sails hoisted, the crew refused to do any work. The skipper finally raised the signal flags and had the tug tow his vessel back into the harbor. When the MOSS dropped anchor, he fired the entire crew then went ashore to hire another crew. The ROY A. JODREY (Hull#186) was launched in 1965, at Collingwood, Ontario by Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. for Algoma Central Railway Ltd. 1924: A fire aboard the ship SOUTH AMERICAN at Holland, MI destroyed the upper works of the popular passenger steamer. 1964: A collision between the GEORGE R. FINK and the Swedish freighter BROHOLM occurred in zero visibility on Lake Huron just north of the Bluewater Bridge. The latter, on her only voyage through the Seaway, received a gash on the starboard side above the waterline while the former had only minor damage. BROHOLM arrived at Hsinkang, China, for scrapping as d) PROODOS on September 2, 1974. 1977: The British freighter PERTH began service to Canada in 1951 and ooperated into the Great Lakes until 1960. The ship ran aground about 200 miles south of Suez as e) GEORGIOS on this date but was later refloated and taken to Suez. The ship was arrested there and subsequently sank on October 1, 1979. The hull was likely refloated and dismantled at that location. 1993: INDIANA HARBOR received major hull damage when it struck Lansing Shoal. The ship was repaired at Sturgeon Bay. I was crossing from SB to Frankfort several years ago when they were testing the first of the LCS boats. I got a call on the VHF from them asking me to change course. They told me that they would pass in front of me but they would slow down due to the huge wake that they made. I complied, watched them pass and then power back up. Those boats can really fly. Its fun to see. |
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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Sept 9, 2015 20:46:32 GMT -5
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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Sept 10, 2015 5:05:59 GMT -5
9/10 - Superior, Wis. – Mel and Carolyn Maierhafer posed on the deck of their new vessel, the L.L. Smith Jr., Wednesday so Marie Cooney could snap a picture. Her friends, she said, were not going to believe it. The vessel, part of the University of Wisconsin-Superior’s aquatic research and education program for three decades, had changed hands.
"I’m just tickled," said Cooney, who splits her time between St. Paul and Duluth.
Photo ops are one of the many perks to owning the tug boat, built in Knudsen Shipyards of Superior in 1950. It also offers museum-worthy pieces in the engine room and wheelhouse as well as plenty of busywork.
"Since we came up here, we’ve been working on it," said Mel Maierhafer of Fremont, Wis. The exterior of the cabin had already been sanded for painting and the head sported a fresh coat of primer. Work is often interrupted by visits from local residents eager for a tour of the historic boat, which has been anchored at Spirit Mountain Marina for the last five years.
"All this history," Maierhafer said. "I don’t know how many of these engines are left. Everybody who comes down is just amazed at this engine."
"Everyone just loves it," his wife said. "Of course, they don’t have to work on it."
One fellow stopped by seeking coffee Wednesday, something the couple has not yet stocked in the research area-turned-temporary-galley. "We’re going to stay here for a while, because we have some wonderful neighbors," Maierhafer said.
Eventually, the pair plan to move the Smith closer to Fremont for use as a summer lake cottage. But it will winter in Duluth. "It’s pretty hard to take it out of the community," Maierhafer said. "Everyone we talk to knows the L.L. Smith."
In 1978, UWS purchased the 58-foot harbor tug and repurposed it for aquatic research and fishery science. Four years later, its mission shifted to environmental education. Over the course of its stay with UWS, the ship welcomed college students, school groups, public officials and more.
"It has reached thousands of people in the Twin Ports area," said UWS Natural Sciences Department Chairwoman Mary Balcer. "For many of them, it was their first time out on Lake Superior."
From an environmental perspective, the program was highly successful. The hands-on work of collecting water samples, testing water quality and seeing lake microorganisms opened people’s eyes to a whole new world, Balcer said. "They were able to experience that lake and begin to understand their role in taking care of it."
Monetarily, however, the program wasn’t able to maintain its course. Changes in staffing and grant funding coupled with an aging vessel led to the permanent docking of the Smith in 2010. It went to auction on the Wisconsin Surplus Auction site this spring. When bids closed on Aug. 4, the Fremont couple had won the boat for $22,250. Or, more correctly, Maierhafer had. It was, he said, a case of raising his hand one too many times during the course of the online auction. While he’d purchased a generator and some rock hounding equipment through the government surplus auction site, this was the biggest win to date. His wife of 23 years didn’t say much about it at first.
"Since we’ve been up here and been working on it, she said the next time you want to bid on something like that, you let me know," Maierhafer said. "And I think she’s going to stand there with a hammer."
Quick decisions have led to many adventures for Maierhafer. It started when he walked into the Fremont Supermarket for a pack of cigarettes, and walked out owning the store. He’s also purchased a plane, a helicopter, a houseboat and motorcycles. "We’ve never owned a tugboat before," Maierhafer said.
At UWS, the decision on whether to replace the Smith remains up in the air. Campus administration and staff plan to meet to look at what the options are, Balcer said.
Research has continued at the college with the use of other vessels, including outboard motor boats and a 20-foot Bayliner. But the Smith was something special, with the ability to take groups of 30 passengers out at a time.
"The boat served a very important educational purpose her for 30 years," Balcer said. "It was able to get people out and give them a hands-on experience. Now it goes to a new stage."
Maierhafer, 75, expects they will spend the rest of their lives working on the Smith. "Maybe a little sooner," his wife said. "We’re both kind of workaholics."
Whatever pace they set, they plan to preserve the boat’s character. They own a piece of history, Maierhafer said, and they plan to enjoy it.
Superior Telegram
Detroit Port Authority open to selling $22M terminal building
9/10 - Detroit, Mich. – Four years after it opened, a publicly funded $22 million public dock and terminal building along the Detroit River could be up for sale if the price and other details are right, Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority officials acknowledge.
The building next to the Renaissance Center was built to attract cruise ships. One cruise ship has docked in the past two years, though, and the building has been used primarily to host weddings and corporate events.
“There’s always been some question about, ‘Can you sell the building?’ We’ve had some discussions,” said John Loftus, who was hired last year as executive director of the independent authority that was created in 1978 to develop and promote waterway commerce and is governed by representatives from the state, city and Wayne County.
“If there is a better way for us to operate the building through a third party, I’m open to ideas,” Loftus said. “We can operate anywhere. I’m not closing the door on anything.”
Port officials have floated the idea of a sale past companies including Troy-based Continental Services, which has exclusive catering rights to the port building. The company is owned by Alex and James Bardy, who also operate a well-known political action committee, Sterling PAC of Continental Services, that has donated tens of thousands of dollars over the years to local officials.
Continental spokesman Stu Sandler described the talks as “more brainstorming than anything.” He said there were “no practical discussions on leasing or buying the building” because the likelihood of either is remote.
“Some have approached Continental, as well as other entities, about possible management options,” Sandler said in a statement. “Continental has great expertise and abilities that many have to come to rely on, so these conversations are not surprising.”
Huge obstacles could impede an outright sale. Because federal funds paid for more than 80 percent of construction costs, any sale likely would require repayment of those grants by the authority that operates on a $1 million budget comprised mostly of subsidies from the state, Wayne County and city of Detroit.
The discussions underscore the problems with the 21,000-square-foot building. Next to the Renaissance Center on Atwater and Bates, the facility is glass and steel — so heating and maintenance costs eat up 15-20 percent of the authority’s annual budget, Loftus said.
Two years ago, the authority used a separate $1 million federal grant to build a processing center for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the first floor of the building.
It was intended to process cruise ship passengers and includes X-ray machines, holding cells and a lab to test foreign produce. Customs officials refuse to use the space because it doesn’t meet their standards, though, and port officials say they can’t afford $170,000 computer and camera upgrades to make it suitable.
The authority’s offices are in about half the building, named after its funding champion, retired U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. Continental markets much of the rest as Waterview Loft@Port Detroit, which its website touts for its “elegance” and “urban chic” atmosphere. Wedding parties start at $18,500 for 100 people.
Continental officials said the contract was competitively bid and their events have brought 40,000 people to Detroit since 2013. The company also owns the Infinity and Ovation party yachts that pay the port $500 each time it uses the dock.
Between the parties and the dock fees, Continental expects to pay the authority $223,000 by the end of the year from 44 weddings, 41 corporate events and 38 dockings.
“We’re a big contributor to the port’s budget, and Continental is in no way impeding the core business of the authority,” said Steven Rybicki, a Continental vice president. “Our events are bringing people to Detroit who otherwise wouldn’t come.”
He defended wedding costs, saying they are all-inclusive and include the cake, flowers and disk jockey. Costs also are higher because events have to be planned to comply with Homeland Security guidelines, Rybicki said.
Loftus’ predecessor, John Jamian, told The News the building and dock were used for more events and community gatherings before his three-year contract wasn’t renewed last year. He supplied multiple photos showing cruise and Navy ships at the dock from 2011 to 2013.
“We had the place buzzing the whole time I was there,” Jamian said. “Sometimes, we had parties, but they were public parties. People involved in precincts, transportation meetings, (government) meetings. I had a plan for the whole space.”
Loftus said his primary goal is increasing economic activity at the port. He hosted a tour of lawmakers Tuesday in hopes of changing state law to allow ports to easily upgrade.
He said the building has great potential, despite recent issues. “I’m open to all options,” he said. “How do we make the best use of this great asset?”
Detroit News
On 10 September 1890, the PORTER CHAMBERLAIN (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 134 foot, 280 gross tons, built in 1874, at Marine City, Michigan) was floated free of the Wolverine Drydock in Port Huron, Michigan where she had steel arches installed. When she floated free, the arches broke in three places and she stayed in Port Huron to have them repaired.
September 10, 1952, the forebody and afterbody of the future JOSEPH H. THOMPSON arrived at the American Shipbuilding yard in South Chicago. The two sections were delivered to the lakes via the Mississippi River and Chicago Ship Canal. The afterbody departed Baltimore, Maryland on August 2 and the forebody departed Pascagoula, Mississippi on August 21.
On 10 September 1884, the 137-foot steam barge HENRY HOWARD was sailing up bound with the schooner-barge GEORGE WORTHINGTON in tow when she caught fire near Harsens Island at the mouth of the St. Clair River. The fire broke out near the HOWARD's engine room and spread rapidly. The vessel was beached on the island but the WORTHINGTON ran against her and was thus scorched. No lives were lost. The HOWARD was valued at $5,000, but only insured for $3,000 by her owners, B. Hoose and Julia Miner.
The whaleback tanker METEOR was towed from Manitowoc, Wisconsin by the tug JOHN ROEN IV to Superior, Wisconsin on September 10, 1972.
The KINSMAN ENTERPRISE turned 75 years old on September 10, 2002. When she entered service as a.) HARRY COULBY, on this date in 1927, the 631-foot bulk freighter was the third largest on the Great Lakes.
While up bound in the Welland Canal on September 9, 1986, it was noted that the port anchor of the J. W. MC GIFFIN was missing, her chain was almost touching the water. Rebuilt with a new cargo hold section by Port Weller Drydocks, Ltd., in 1999, renamed b.) CSL NIAGARA.
On 10 September 1909, COLUMBUS (wooden propeller bulk freighter, 136 foot, 439 gross tons, built in 1874, as the tug JOHN OWEN) burned to a total loss at her dock at Gargantua, Ontario, in Lake Superior. She was cut loose and allowed to drift out into the bay where she sank. The top of her engine reportedly still shows above the water.
September 10, 1979 - The SPARTAN was laid up. She remains in Ludington, Michigan.
The barge N. MILLS was launched at P. Lester's yard in Marysville, Michigan on 10 September 1870. Her dimensions were 164 feet x 30 feet x 12 feet.
1910: PERE MARQUETTE 18, inbound for Milwaukee with 29 rail cars, began leaking and sank 30 miles off Sheboygan, Wis. There were 33 survivors but 29 were lost including the captain. 1918: The barge SANTIAGO, under tow of the small bulk carrier JOHN F. MORROW, sank in Lake Huron off Pointe aux Barques without loss of life. 1940: A.E. AMES was once part of Canada Steamship Lines. The vessel was sold for saltwater service about 1917 and was lost, via enemy action, as c) GINETTE LEBORGNE on this date in 1940 when it struck a mine on the Mediterranean, west of Sardinia, while returning demobilized troops from North Africa to France.
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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Sept 11, 2015 4:57:06 GMT -5
9/11 - Washington, D.C. - While August is generally slower for Seaway traffic, U.S. ports handled a range of project cargo for their customers. “During the month of August, high value project cargo was on the move throughout the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “Ships carried oversized cargo of wind components like towers, nacelles, blades and hubs; machinery, generators, and refinery equipment to the Ports of Cleveland, Toledo and Duluth. Clearly shippers chose to move heavy lift cargo via the Seaway System because of the economic benefits, safety and reliability of our waterway and its direct access to the heartland of North America.” The 2015 shipping season has been a good year for project cargo shipments at the Port of Toledo. “Many of the project cargo shipments via the Seaway are in support of the regional oil and gas industry,” said Joe Cappel, Vice President of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. In August the port welcomed the BBC Ohio, delivering cargo for Husky’s Lima refinery, to her namesake state. Siemens natural gas turbines shipped from Charleston, South Carolina arrived in Toledo later in the month on the barge Sea Cresent for a new power plant in Oregon, Ohio. “In addition to project cargo handling at our general cargo facility, we are trans-loading oil and gas products at our new Ironville terminal from rail to truck. This is a great example of the diverse cargo handling capabilities of our stevedore, Midwest Terminals, and the importance of having unit train capacity and good intermodal connectivity,” Cappel added. It has been an extremely busy summer for heavy-lift and project cargo handling in the Port of Duluth. Four of nearly two dozen vessels expected this year arrived in August to discharge wind turbine towers, nacelles and 49-meter blades for ALLETE Clean Energy’s Thunder Spirit wind farm in North Dakota, plus components for that state’s oil and gas industry. “We anticipate closing out this season on a high note here at the Clure Public Marine Terminal,” said Vanta Coda, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “There are another five ships on the horizon scheduled for later this fall, serving the wind, oil and gas, and pulp/paper industries in North America’s Heartland.” The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period April 2 to August 31 were 18.3 million metric tons, down 10.6 percent over the same period in 2014. U.S. grain shipments were up by nearly 70 percent in August over last year. The dry bulk category was up by 9 percent over 2014 with potash, stone and pig iron in the positive column, at 207, 62 and 122 percent respectively. The general cargo category was down 9 percent. Iron ore and coal remained down in August by 15 and 37 percent respectively. The liquid bulk category posted a downturn of 5 percent. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Seaway supports U.S. business expansion in key sectors 9/11 - St. Lawrence Seaway shipping posted strong gains in the first half of the season in shipments of U.S. grain, construction materials and heavy lift cargo for the renewable energy and manufacturing sectors, according to the latest figures released today. However, global weakness for some commodities has slowed overall tonnage results. “The Great Lakes-Seaway trade corridor continues to support business expansion in key areas of the U.S. economy, from energy and automotive manufacturing to grain exports and construction,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. According to figures from the St. Lawrence Seaway, U.S grain shipments from April 2 to August 31 totaled 1.1 million metric tons, up nearly 70 percent over the same period last year. Dry bulk tonnage, including construction materials, tallied 5.4 million metric tons, up 9 percent. Business from North American renewable energy providers and manufacturers lifted year-to-date shipments of heavy machinery components (other general cargo) by 23 per cent and materials such as aluminum (domestic general cargo) via the St. Lawrence Seaway by 28 percent compared to the same period last year. Aluminum, steel and project cargo have been the leading break bulk commodities at the Port of Toledo this year. "The majority of the aluminum and steel is coming in on barges from Canada this season," said Joe Cappel, VP of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. "The aluminum is often stored on the LME or CME in our Foreign Trade Zone #8 for a period of time then eventually released into the marketplace and used mainly in the automotive industry. Typically after discharge, the barge continues up the Maumee River to one of our grain silos and loads grain to take back to Canada." Many of the project cargo shipments to Toledo this season are in support of the oil and gas industry. In August the port welcomed the BBC Ohio, delivering cargo for Husky's Lima refinery. Siemens natural gas turbines shipped from Charleston, SC arrived in Toledo later in the month on the barge Sea Crescent for a new power plant in Oregon, Ohio. The Port of Duluth-Superior received the final two of seven shipments of wind turbine components last week destined for a North Dakota renewable energy project now under construction by ALLETE Clean Energy. The port is expecting to receive another handful of heavy-lift and project cargo shipments for energy-related developments in North Dakota and Alberta this year. Partnering with ALLETE Clean Energy to move a total of seven shipments of heavy lift and dimensional wind cargoes through the Port of Duluth this year demonstrates their commitment to clean energy,” said Vanta Coda, executive director of the Duluth-Seaway Port Authority. “They managed to minimize overland carriage and capitalize on the efficiencies of waterborne transport via the Great Lakes-Seaway system.” These areas of strength, however, were offset by a 16 percent decline in shipments of iron ore via the St. Lawrence Seaway, a 38 percent decrease in coal shipments, and a decline in Canadian grain cargoes compared to a blockbuster 2014. As a result, overall cargo tonnage on the Seaway from April 2 to August 31 was 18.3 million metric tons, down 10.6 percent from the same period in 2014. Chamber of Marine Commerce 1872, at Milwaukee, the Wisconsin, which was transferred to the Atlantic coast from Lake Erie in 1898, struck Romer Shoal off the shore of Staten Island and was wrecked. She was sailing from Norfolk, Virginia to Saco, Maine at the time. Her crew managed to reach the Life Saving Station through the heavy surf. September 11, 1969, the Bethlehem steamer LEHIGH, Captain Loren A. Falk, delivered the first cargo to the new Bethlehem Steel mill at Burns Harbor, Indiana. The cargo consisted of 15,700 tons of taconite pellets loaded at Taconite Harbor, Minnesota. On 11 September 1883, EXPLORER (2-mast wooden schooner, 48 foot, 33 gross tons, built in 1866, at Chatham, Ontario) struck rocks and went down on Stokes Bay on the outside of the Bruce Peninsula. Her crew was visible from shore clinging to the wreck until the vessel broke up. All five were lost. The GEORGE M. HUMPHREY, of 1927, was patched and refloated on September 11, 1944. She had sunk in 80 feet of water after a collision with the steamer D.M. CLEMSON, of 1916, off Old Point Light, on June 15, 1943. On May 6, 1944, the barges MAITLAND NO. 1 and HILDA were employed as pontoons for the salvage operation positioned over the sunken hull. Cables were attached to the HUMPHREY's hull and to the barges. The hull was raised through a series of lifts, which allowed it to be brought into shallower water. Partial buoyancy was provided by the HUMPHREY's ballast tanks, which were pumped out to about 25 percent of capacity. The HUMPHREY was patched and refloated on September 11, 1944. She was taken to the Manitowoc Ship Building Co. first for an estimate of repairs, which totaled $469,400, and then was towed to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for reconditioning which was completed at a reported cost of $437,000. Captain John Roen's Roen Transportation Co. assumed ownership on September 18, 1944, and the next year the ship was renamed b.) CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN. She re-entered service on May 1, 1945, chartered to the Pioneer Steamship Co. on a commission basis. Renamed c.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1948, and d.) CONSUMERS POWER in 1958. She was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1988. September 11, 2001, the former Bob-Lo boat STE. CLAIRE was towed from Detroit to Toledo by Gaelic's tug SHANNON. In August 2005, she was taken to Belanger Park in River Rouge and in the spring of 2006 she was returned to Nicholson's Slip in Ecorse by Gaelic's tugs PATRICIA HOEY and CAROLYN HOEY. Carrying cargoes off the lakes, CANADA MARQUIS departed Halifax bound for Philadelphia with a cargo of grain. HON. PAUL MARTIN departed Halifax the same day on her way to Tampa with a load of gypsum. HORACE JOHNSON sailed on her maiden voyage light from Lorain, Ohio, on September 11, 1929, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota to load iron ore. On 11 September 1895, S.P. AMES (2 mast wooden schooner, 61 foot, 43 gross tons) was driven ashore at Pointe aux Barques, Michigan, in a storm. She was quickly stripped before she went to pieces. She had been built in 1879, at Montrose, Michigan, in farm country, well inland, on the Flint River by Mr. Seth Ames. He wanted to use her to return to sea, but he died the day before her hull was launched. On 11 September 1876, the schooner HARVEST HOME sank on Lake Michigan while bound from Chicago for Cleveland with a load of scrap iron. She was about 26 miles off Grand Haven, Michigan. The crew was taken off by the schooner GRACIE M. FILER just as the boat was going down. 1942: H.M.C.S. CHARLOTTETOWN, a Canadian naval corvette built at Kingston, ON in 1941, was torpedoed and sunk by U-517 on the St. Lawrence near Cap Chat, QC. Nine of the 64 on board were lost. 1946: The former Hall freighter LUCIUS W. ROBINSON, heading for new service in the Far East as b) HAI LIN, ran into a typhoon on the Pacific during its delivery voyage but was unscathed. 1961: The retired PERSEUS, under tow for scrapping overseas, broke loose of the tug ENGLISHMAN, and was abandoned in rough seas near the Azores. It was later found drifting and taken in tow only to sink on September 21. 1968: GRINDEFJELL, a pre-Seaway and Seaway-era visitor for the Norwegian Fjell Line from 1953 to 1965, put into Mozambique as b) LENRO after fire had broken out in a cargo hold. The flames spread and, at one time the hull glowed red hot. The ship was gutted, later capsized and was abandoned as a total loss. The vessel was enroute from Assab, Ethiopia, to Rotterdam, with a cargo of bagged niger seed expellers and had to take the long way around due to the Suez Canal being closed. The hull was either scrapped or scuttled. 1987: An arson fire gutted the bridge and top deck of the laid up former C.S.L. package freighter FORT YORK at Sarnia. There had been another suspicious fire three weeks earlier that had been extinguished. IN MEMORY OF THE 9-11 attack... www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=NYCFD+%22FIREFIGHTER%22+Fireboat |
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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Sept 14, 2015 6:37:24 GMT -5
USS Milwaukee commissioning set for Nov. 21 9/12 - Milwaukee, Wis. – At a press conference held at Discovery World, Mayor Tom Barrett announced that the USS Milwaukee, the fifth U.S. Navy ship to be named for the Cream City, will hold its commissioning on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. at Veteran's Park. The event commemorates the day the U.S. Navy accepts the ship, which was built in Marinette, into its fleet for active duty. "Today marks an exciting day as we prepare for an amazing event in Milwaukee this November," Barrett said. "The USS Milwaukee Commissioning is an event that appeals to many family generations, and I am eager to be a part of this national Naval tradition that will take place here in Milwaukee – its namesake city." "The commissioning of the USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) is an historic event, which supports the needs of the Navy and the ship's crews and creates awareness for the USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) and U.S. Navy," said Vice Admiral Dirk J. Debbink, U.S. Navy Reserve (Retired) Commissioning Committee Chair. "The USS Milwaukee Commissioning is a once in a lifetime event, and we anticipate that much of Milwaukee and even Wisconsin, will be a part of this Naval tradition." The commissioning is free to the public; however, advanced tickets are required for admission. Order tickets here: www.ussmilwaukeelcs5.org/OnMilwaukee.com On 13 September 1894, the GLOBE (steel propeller package freighter, 330 foot, 2,995 gross tons) was launched by the Globe Iron Works (Hull #53) at Cleveland, Ohio. She was lengthened to 400 feet and converted to a bulk freighter in 1899, when she was acquired by the Bessemer Steamship Company and renamed JAMES B. EADS. She lasted until 1967, when she was scrapped at Port Weller Drydocks. On 13 September 1872, the wooden schooner RAPID left Pigeon Bay, Ontario bound for Buffalo, New York with 5000 railroad ties. While on Lake Erie, a storm blew in and Capt. Henderson decided to turn for Rondeau. While turning, the vessel capsized. Annie Brown, the cook, was trapped below decks and drowned. The seven other crew members strapped themselves to the rail and waited to be rescued. One by one they died. Finally, 60-hours later, the schooner PARAGON found the floating wreck with just one man, James Low, the first mate, barely alive. The EDMUND FITZGERALD's sea trials occurred on September 13, 1958. The HOFFMAN (United States Army Corps of Engineers Twin Screw Hopper Dredge) collided with the Japanese salty KUNISHIMA MARU at Toledo, Ohio, September 13, 1962. Reportedly the blame was placed on the pilot of the Japanese salty. Apparently the damage was minor. On September 13, 1968, the AUGUST ZIESING grounded in fog 200 yards above the Rock Cut in the St. Marys River. The grounded vessel swung into the shipping channel blocking it until September 15th when lightering was completed. September 13, 1953 - PERE MARQUETTE 22 made her second maiden voyage since she was new in 1924. She was cut in half, lengthened, had new boilers and engines installed. On 13 September 1875, CITY OF BUFFALO (wooden schooner, 91 foot, 128 tons, built in 1859, at Buffalo, New York, as a propeller canal boat) beached and sank after striking a rock in the St. Marys River. The tug MAGNET worked for days to release her before she went to pieces on 19 September. No lives were lost. On 13 September 1871, the bark S D POMEROY was anchored off Menominee, Michigan, during a storm. Archie Dickie, James Steele, John Davidson and James Mechie were seen to lower the yawl to go to shore. Later the empty yawl drifted ashore and then the bodies of all four men floated in. 1967 – The former Great Lakes passenger ship NORTH AMERICAN sank in the Atlantic (40.46 N / 68.53 W) while under tow for a new career as a training ship at Piney Point, Maryland. 1988 – The Cypriot freighter BLUESTONE, at Halifax since August 19, had 3 crewmembers jump ship at the last minute claiming unsafe conditions due to corrosion in the tank tops, but this could not be checked as the vessel was loaded. September 14, 1962, the HORACE S. WILKINSON was involved in a collision with the Canadian freighter CAROL LAKE in the Welland Canal. Rather than repair the WILKINSON, Wilson Marine had her towed to Superior, Wisconsin, for conversion to a barge. All cabin superstructure, the engine, boilers, and auxiliary machinery were removed. The stern was squared off and notched to receive a tug. The WILKINSON was renamed WILTRANCO I and re-entered service in 1963, as a tug-barge combination with a crew of 10, pushed by the tug FRANCIS A. SMALL of 1966. September 14, 1963, the BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS, Captain Earl C. Bauman, received a National Safety Council Award of Merit for operating 1,001,248 consecutive man-hours without a lost time accident. This accomplishment required 15 years, 600 round trips, and 1,200 passages through the Soo locks. Captain Albert Edgar Goodrich died on September 14,1885, at the age of 59, at his residence in Chicago. He was a pioneer steamboat man and founded the Goodrich Transportation Company, famous for its passenger/package freight steamers on Lake Michigan. The J. J. SULLIVAN (Hull#439) was launched September 14, 1907, at Cleveland, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Superior Steamship Co. (Hutchinson & Co., mgr.). Renamed b.) CLARENCE B. RANDALL in 1963. She was scrapped at Windsor, Ontario in 1988. On September 14, 1871, R. J. CARNEY (wooden barge, 150 foot, 397 gross tons) was launched at Saginaw, Michigan. The 203-foot wooden schooner KATE WINSLOW was launched at J. Davidson's yard in East Saginaw, Michigan, on 14 September 1872. The steamer ASIA sank in a storm off Byng Inlet on Georgian Bay September 14, 1882. Over 100 people lost their lives with only two people, a man and a woman, rescued. ASIA was built in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1873, and was bound from Collingwood, Ontario, to the French River and Canadian Sault. 1960: The Bahamas registered vessel ITHAKA stranded 10 miles east of Chhurchill, Manitoba, after the rudder broke and the anchors failed to hold in a storm. The ship had served on the Great Lakes for Hall as a) FRANK A. AUGSBURY and e) LAWRENCECLIFFE HALL (i), for Canada Steamship Lines as b) GRANBY and for Federal Commerce & Navigation as f) FEDERAL PIONEER. 1965: FORT WILLIAM, which recently entered service as a package freight carrier for Canada Steamship Lines, capsized at Pier 65 in Montreal. There was an ensuing fire when part of the cargo of powdered carbide formed an explosive gas and five were killed. The vessel was refloated on November 22, 1965, repaired, and still sails the lakes a b) STEPHEN B. ROMAN. 1970: The barge AFT, the forward part of the former STEEL KING (ii), arrrived at Ramey's Bend, Port Colborne, under tow of the tug HERBERT A. for dismantling. The barge had been part of a tandem tow with the dipper dredge KING COAL but the latter broke loose in a Lake Erie storm and sank. 1998: The Cypriot-registered STRANGE ATTRACTOR first came through the Seaway in 1989 as a) LANTAU TRADER. It returned under the new name in 1996 and lost power on this date in 1998 while leaving the Upper Beauharnois Lock and had to be towed to the tie up wall by OCEAN GOLF and SALVAGE MONARCH. The ship was soon able to resume the voyage and continued Great Lakes trading through 2003. It arrived for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey, as d) ORIENT FUZHOU on August 7, 2009. The once popular Great Lakes cruise ship North American went to the bottom of the Atlantic off Nantucket Light while under tow 48 years ago today. The ship had been retired in 1964 and was headed to Piney Point, Md. for use as a training vessel by the Seafarer's International Union. North American had been built at Ecorse, Mich., in 1913 for the Chicago, Duluth and Georgian Bay Transit Co. The 291 foot, 6 inch long steamer provided a wonderful cruise service and could accommodate 450 passengers. The vessel was converted to burn oil in 1923 and a second stack was added. It operated on the upper Great Lakes but headed to the St. Lawrence to view the beautiful Thousand Islands in July 1958 when the Eisenhower Lock was opened that summer. The ship stranded during another Thousand Islands voyage in 1960 and required the help of tugs to float free. Smaller than running mate South American, North American was laid up and then sold to the Canadian Holiday Line in 1963 but was not a success. It was surrendered to a trust company, traded for 5,000 acres of Tennessee woodland, returned to the trust company after litigation and finally sold to the S.I.U. The hull was found on the bottom of the Atlantic in July 2006. It rests about 140 miles off New England in 250 feet of water near the Continental Shelf. 9/13 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – Bay Shipbuilding Co. currently has a workforce of 675 people, expects that to expand by another 50, and will employ about 1,200 permanent and seasonal workers at the peak of the winter fleet work period in March, the company's human resources manager said Thursday. Bill Behm presented a "State of the Shipyard" report to the Noon Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay, telling the Rotarians that the Sturgeon Bay firm owned by Fincantieri has contracts to build 11 vessels over the next two or three years. One of those vessels is due to be christened Sept. 29. Bay Ship commands about 25 percent of all of the repair business on the Great Lakes, including the winter layover that usually results in 14 or 15 giant cargo vessels being parked at the yard from January to March. Most of the new builds are for businesses along the Gulf Coast. "So much of this has to do with the Midwest work ethic, with the quality of the work that we put out, with the efficiency that we can do that," Behm said. "Obviously we can build these ships faster and more efficient here in Sturgeon Bay. It is a testament to the folks who've been working there for 20-30-40 years and to the new folks who are coming in that are jumping right on board." In the last 18 months Bay Ship has increased its head count by about 20 percent, he said. In response to a question, Behm expressed confidence that the 100 workers being displaced by the pending Palmer Johnson Yachts shutdown can find local work. Palmer Johnson announced last week that it is moving its manufacturing operations to Europe, closing its facilities in Sturgeon Bay where the company was founded in 1918. "Obviously we want to keep those folks in the county, you don't want to lose that knowledge," Behm said. "I know there are businesses up in the Industrial Park, as well as ourselves, that are chomping at the bit for skilled trades, for managers, for just about anything that they've got employed over there, and we, between ourselves and the Industrial Park companies, I think will easily absorb that 100 people that they have." Door County Advocate 9/14 - Bay City, Mich. – As a 20-year-old firefighter, only nine months into his career, Todd Shorkey had only heard stories about those "once-in-a-lifetime" fires. These are the fires that are talked about for the rest of one's life. The type that a community never forgets. A fire so spectacular, so stupendous, so colossal that it requires you to freeze and let it soak in. "Some people wait their whole career for a fire like this," Shorkey said. "I got it in the first nine months of my career." Near the end of his 24-hour shift at about 8 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16, 1990, Shorkey was sipping a cup of coffee when a call came over the radio for a "boat fire." As he left the station and saw an incredible plume of black smoke rising over Bay City he quickly knew it was more than that. This Wednesday, Sept. 16, marks the 25th anniversary of the motor vessel Jupiter explosion. While moored on the West Side of the Saginaw River, unloading 2.3 million gallons of unleaded gasoline at Total Petroleum, the tanker broke away from its lines after a freighter passed by it. A former Bay City Times reporter described what happened next: "As a soaking rain pelted the sailors, hell visited the Saginaw River." At about 8:30 a.m. that Sunday, the Buffalo, a freighter measuring 635-feet long — nearly twice the length of the Jupiter — was heading up the Saginaw River to unload a cargo of coal and passed by the tanker. At the time of its passing, according to an accident report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Jupiter broke away from its berth and its stern swung out into the river, rupturing the hose that was discharging gasoline to the pier and damaging the pipeline on the pier. Gasoline spilled on the pier and onto the deck of the Jupiter. Electrical cables to two motor-operated valves that closed off the pipelines were torn apart, causing a spark that ignited the spilled gasoline. It didn't take long before a series of massive explosions in the cargo tanks destroyed the entire middle section of the vessel. "The flames were 20 to 30 feet in the air and the horrendous smoke ... it was unbelievable," Charles Prescott, the vessel's chief engineering officer, told a Times reporter following the explosion. He later described the sound of the explosion as a "sonic boom." "It was so terrible that paint and soot sifted down from overhead." Members of the 17-man crew started evacuating the ship, some jumping into a cold Saginaw River. About 10 minutes later, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue crew was at the scene plucking sailors from the water. More than a dozen crew members were injured — most treated for mild cases of hypothermia and minor burns and abrasions. Thomas Sexton, a crewman from Iowa, was the lone fatality. Sexton drowned while trying to swim to safety after the vessel exploded. Dr. George Ascherl Jr., a radiologist who lives in Bay City, watched the horrific scene unfold from somewhere between 100- and 300-feet away. He was taking his sailboat, the Wild Irish, to Pier 7 Marina for the winter and was abreast of the Jupiter when it exploded. "It was one of the most frightening scenes I've ever witnessed," Ascherl said this past week, nearly 25 years after the explosion. "The intensity of it all was something I'd only imagine seeing in a warzone." Instead of continuing down the Saginaw River, Ascherl stood by to help the men who were jumping into the Saginaw River, he said. He negotiated his sailboat near the stern of the Jupiter. The ship's captain advised him to stand off, but stand by and not come any closer to the burning ship. He then watched members of the crew take down the American flag that was flying on the windy day and evacuate their freighter. Shorkey said he stood in disbelief when he arrived at the smoke-filled, fiery scene. "It was, by far, the most dramatic fire I've ever been to," said the 25-year veteran firefighter. It was confusion at first, he said, and there were worries of more explosions. Firefighters established a water supply, stretched supply lines to the river and set up portable monitor guns, but their equipment couldn't reach the burning ship, Shorkey said. The Jupiter burned furiously through the day and night, according to media reports. Knowing gasoline was still on board, officials thought the only strategy was to let it burn. But the temperature of the fire was causing the Jupiter's hull to buckle. According to media reports, only 6 inches of the hull remained above the water line. Several other explosions throughout the day and into the evening made things worse. The "let-it-burn" strategy was thrown out. Following the explosion, Total Petroleum officials called Texas-based Boots & Coots to battle the blaze. Officials from the company, now owned by Halliburton, arrived early Monday morning, bringing equipment and expertise to fight the fire. Thousands of gallons of special foam was shot into the flames. Anything still burning needed to be extinguished because even the smallest flame could re-ignite the entire ship. Actual firefighting started at 1:30 p.m. Monday and it took less than an hour for the team from Boots & Coots and the U.S. Coast Guard to put the fire out after it had burned for 29 hours. But it wasn't done. At 9:30 p.m. that evening, after many members of the state and national media left the scene, the Jupiter began burning again. Firefighters again smothered the freighter with foam. By Tuesday morning, the fire was finally out, but an investigation that would shut down the shipping channel for more than three weeks was just beginning. The Jupiter explosion became one of those events that includes the question, "Where were you when it happened?" Ron Bloomfield, director of operations and chief historian for the Bay County Historical Society, was traveling from Mount Pleasant to Delta College in Bay County and could see a mystery plume of black smoke from M-20. "The whole way, I could see this massive plume of black smoke and had no idea what it was — you can't tell distance when you're traveling like that," Bloomfield said. "I thought, 'Is half of Bay City burning?' " Saginaw River Marine Historical Society President Don Comtois was driving to Bay City from West Branch following engineer training. "You could see this haze in the sky toward Bay City and one of the guys in our car got on his cellphone and was told a gasoline tanker exploded in Bay City," Comtois said. "I would say for a disaster on the river, this ranks No. 1. During the lumber era, there were fires, but nothing that would even compare to what we had here with the Jupiter." Former Times photographer Wes Stafford received a call that Sunday morning from cops reporter Tim Younkman, who told him a boat had exploded on the Saginaw River. "My first question was, 'Do you think it's still going to be burning when I get down there?'" Stafford said. Younkman told him, "I think so." Two Times photographers were already at the scene, so Stafford was assigned to get aerial shots of the blaze in an airplane. "That's when it really struck me," he said. "To see fire and smoke in the sky over Bay City was incredible." Before learning of the blast, Stafford said he heard a "scrunching, screeching" sound that resembled a train derailment. "What I think I heard was the Jupiter's deck being peeled back." "This was a spectacular fire as far as fires go," Younkman said. "The Wenonah was the most tragic in that 10 people died. This fire, we had one man die, which was bad, but considering what happened, the fact anyone survived was a miracle." Remnants of the Jupiter remain in Bay County today. A number of artifacts, including the Jupiter's transom, fire bell and American flag that flew on its stern are on display at Dobson's Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum, 3456 Patterson Road in Bangor Township. The items are owned by the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society. Those interested can also see a life jacket salvaged from the freighter, part of a work boat and an old gauge. Outside the firetruck museum, buried in the growth of weeds and trees, is the Jupiter's mast. Amateur video of the response to the blaze runs on a loop inside the museum and several newspaper clippings are on display. A model replica of the freighter is encased in glass. The Times' comprehensive coverage of the explosion and investigation, in addition to the Marine accident report by the National Transportation Safety Board, can be found in the library at the Bay County Historical Museum, 321 Washington Ave. A federal investigation ultimately found Total Petroleum Co. responsible for the fire because of faulty moorings. Throughout the investigation, some officials alleged the Buffalo was traveling at too high of a speed, causing a wake and suction that pulled the Jupiter away from its moorings. The total cost of the fire, including the Jupiter's value and overtime costs for local agencies was more than $6.1 million. Today, Marathon Petroleum operates at the site at 1806 Marquette Ave., where the Jupiter was unloading gasoline. Ken Foster, a former manager at the plant who retired in 2011 and was on site the day the Jupiter exploded, said several training seminars, from firefighting to lifesaving, soon became standard protocol at the plant following the incident. When freighters now pass by the gasoline terminal, for instance, all pumping operations are shut down until the vessel has cleared. "The lessons we learned brought out a lot of good," Foster said. "We learned an awful lot." M Live Rouge River closed for bridge work 9/14 - Detroit, Mich. – The Rouge River will remain closed until September 18th to allow the new Fort Street lift span to be rolled into place. Tugs Capt. Dave and Titan have placed barges side by side across the river and heavy-equipment movers are rigging equipment to roll the semi-completed lift span from its temporary construction location on the southwest side of the river out to the northeast pier, where it will be connected to the already completed counterweights and lift mechanism. The new span will have only one leaf that lifts. The current aerial photo on Google maps is fairly recent and shows where the lift span was constructed on the southwest shore. It appears that the emergency dredging near Jefferson Avenue is completed and the Peter R. Cresswell was unloading at St. Marys Cement on Friday. |
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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Sept 15, 2015 6:05:39 GMT -5
Police divers searching for man who jumped from freighter
9/15 - Ludington, Mich. – The Michigan State Police Dive Team was in Ludington Monday searching Lake Michigan for the body of Jerald Glenn Rinaldi who jumped off the Stewart J. Cort on Aug. 23 off Big Sable Point. The team did not have divers in the water in the area of Lake Michigan where he disappeared, but rather a remote underwater vehicle, according to Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole, who requested the MSP's help.
Detectives from the Mason County Sheriff's Office learned that Rinaldi jumped from the ship after a disturbance in his room. Cole has said because Rinaldi hasn't been located that the investigation into his death would remain an open case.
Rinaldi was believed to be intoxicated and the ship’s captain and first mate were summoned and confronted him about his alcohol use because the ship has a zero-tolerance alcohol policy. Cole said at some point during that confrontation, Rinaldi ran to the rail on the starboard side of the ship and eventually jumped.
Volunteers searched area beaches in the days after Rinaldi's apparent death, but did not find signs of him.
Ludington Daily News
Lorain Lighthouse named best on Lake Erie
9/15 - Lorain, Ohio – The Lorain Lighthouse again was named the best along the Lake Erie shore, according to awards presented by Lake Erie Living magazine. For the second year in a row, the Jewel of the Port of Lorain captured the top honor of Best Lighthouse, as awarded in Lake Erie Living magazine’s annual Best of Lake Erie issue.
The magazine considers lake-related businesses and attractions in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario. The Lorain Lighthouse Foundation, oversees fundraising, maintenance and improvements.
The lighthouse draws visitors from out of Lorain and out of state. Its popularity is not necessarily a surprise because people who love lighthouses will search them out, said Rick Novak, executive director of the Lorain Port Authority.
“Are we surprised? Not really because we know it’s a jewel out there and people know they can go out there and visit it now,” Novak said. In 2014, the building was painted. This summer the lighthouse got 34 new windows, 16 new doors, hinges and rebuilt locks.
Lorain Morning Journal
Hamburg cruise ship docks in Milwaukee
9/15 - Milwaukee, Wis. – The Hamburg has returned to Milwaukee. The 15,000-ton, 420-passenger luxury cruise ship is touring the Great Lakes for the second summer in a row. The ship arrived in Milwaukee on Monday morning, and will allow passengers to tour all the sights Southeastern Wisconsin has to offer.
The ship's passengers are mostly European. During its current North American cruise, the Hamburg is making stops at other Great Lakes ports such as Chicago, Montreal and Toronto.
The cruise ship is currently docked in the Port of Milwaukee. Passengers will be able to take shuttles to a number of area destinations, from the Harley-Davidson Museum to the Milwaukee Public Market. They will even have the opportunity to check out some attractions outside the city.
CBS 58
Keweenaw Excursions plans three-day fall color tour
9/15 - Charlevoix, Mich. – Keweenaw Excursions is offering a three-day excursion that will take passengers on a northern Michigan boating excursion up the St. Marys River, through the Soo Locks and into Lake Superior aboard its 110-foot Keweenaw Star. The trip runs Monday, Sept.28 - Wednesday, Sept. 30.
The trip begins Saturday morning at the State Docks in the village of DeTour, in the eastern Upper Peninsula. From there, the Star will travel north to explore the tree-filled islands of Potagannissing Bay, through the North Channel of Georgian Bay and over to the Canadian town of Bruce Mines to view the lighthouse at McKay Point. From there, it’s west past Sister Rock lighthouse and through the narrows of the Wilson Channel, then over to the north side of St. Joseph Island, which should be ablaze in fall colors. Just past the Shoal Island Lighthouse, the Star enters the St. Marys River in the Middle Neebish Channel and heads north toward Sault Ste. Marie. The evening concludes with a trip through the Soo Locks and out into Lake Superior, before returning to Sault Ste. Marie for the night.
Sunday offers options for passengers. The first is to board a bus for trip to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point in the town of Paradise, including a stop at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Those wishing to stay and explore Sault Ste. Marie can take in attractions such as the Museum Ship Valley Camp, Tower of History and the viewing platform for the Soo Locks, for up-closing viewing of the transiting freighters.
On Monday, the Star begins her voyage south down the St. Marys River, with passage through the famed Rock Cut and back to the dock in DeTour.
Cost for the excursion is $475 per person, based on double occupancy ($550 per person, single occupancy) and includes transportation, two night’s accommodations at the Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie as well as a gaming package and most meals. Space is limited and reservations are required by calling 231-237-9365.
The Keweenaw Star offers a full cash bar with snacks, as well as a climate-controlled main cabin, full dining room, walk-around main deck and open-air top deck.
Operating since 2000, Keweenaw Excursions is owned and operated by brothers Jason and Kraig Funkey. The company originated in Houghton, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and moved to Charlevoix in 2009. With a capacity of 130 passengers, the Keweenaw Star offers a range of cruises from mid-May through mid-October, including sunset tours, sightseeing trips and multi-day lighthouse and shipwatching cruises. The boat is also available for private charters, for events such as corporate outings, weddings, rehearsal dinners and reunions.
For more information, contact Keweenaw Excursions: 231.237.9365 | KeweenawExcursions@gmail.com
Keweenaw Excursions
The passenger ship Manasoo had a very short career under this name. It began its maiden voyage on April 22, 1928, and sank in heavy weather late that summer after clearing the Manitoulin Island community of Manitowaning on Sept. 15.
This steel passenger ship was built at Glasgow, Scotland, in 1888 and came to Canada for the Hamilton Steamboat Co. Originally known as a) Macassa, the ship worked on Lake Ontario routes and was rebuilt at Collingwood in 1904-1905 resulting in a vessel that was now 190 feet 3 inches long.
Macassa served a variety of owners and opened the port of Toronto for the year on several occasions including 1906, 1917-1921 and 1925. It was sold to the Owen Sound Transportation Co. at the end of the 1927 season and was rebuilt at Toronto as an overnight boat for passenger and freight service. It was renamed b) Manasoo early in 1928 and replaced the burnt Michipicoten.
Manasoo encountered heavy weather 87 years ago today and the cargo shifted before the vessel overturned just before 3 a.m. Seventeen lives were lost in addition to 46 head of cattle and a single automobile. Six on board survived but one of those succumbed in the lifeboat as they had to endure being adrift for 60 hours before being picked up by the Manitoba of the Canadian Pacific line. They were brought into Owen Sound.
An investigation blamed bad stowage of cargo, carelessness and neglect. As a result, the captain and first officer had their certificates cancelled.
On 15 September 1886, F. J. KING (wooden schooner, 140 foot, 280 tons, built in 1867, at Toledo, Ohio) was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois. She sprang a leak and sank in a heavy southwesterly gale three miles off Rawley Bay, Wisconsin. Her crew reached shore in the yawl. Her loss was valued at $7,500.
The A. H. FERBERT of 1942 was towed out of Duluth by the Sandrin tug GLENADA September 15, 1987; they encountered rough weather on Lake Superior and required the assistance of another tug to reach the Soo on the 19th. On the 21st the FERBERT had to anchor off Detour, Michigan, after she ran aground in the St. Marys River when her towline parted. Her hull was punctured and the Coast Guard ordered repairs to her hull before she could continue. Again problems struck on September 24th, when the FERBERT went hard aground at the Cut-Off Channel's southeast bend of the St. Clair River. Six tugs, GLENADA, ELMORE M. MISNER, BARBARA ANN, GLENSIDE, SHANNON and WM. A. WHITNEY, worked until late on the 26th to free her. The FERBERT finally arrived in tow of GLENSIDE and W. N. TWOLAN at Lauzon, Quebec, on October 7th.
The steamer WILLIAM A. AMBERG (Hull#723) was launched September 15, 1917, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the Producers Steamship Co., (M. A. Hanna, mgr.). Renamed b.) ALBERT E. HEEKIN in 1932, c.) SILVER BAY in 1955, d.) JUDITH M. PIERSON in 1975 and e.) FERNGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario, in 1985.
On September 15, 1925, the JOHN A. TOPPING left River Rouge, Michigan, light on her maiden voyage to Ashland, Wisconsin, to load iron ore for delivery to Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) WILLIAM A. REISS in 1934, she was scrapped at Alang, India, in 1994.
On September 15th, lightering was completed on the AUGUST ZIESING; she had grounded above the Rock Cut two days earlier, blocking the channel.
September 15, 1959, was the last day the U.S. Coast Guard Buoy Tender MESQUITE was stationed at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
MIDDLETOWN suffered a fire in her tunnels on September 15, 1986. Second and third degree burns were suffered by two crew members. She was renamed f.) AMERICAN VICTORY in 2006.
In 1934, the ANN ARBOR NO 6 collided with the steamer N. F. LEOPOLD in a heavy fog.
September 15, 1993 - Robert Manglitz became CEO and president of Lake Michigan Carferry Service after Charles Conrad announced his retirement and the sale of most of his stock.
On 15 September 1873, IRONSIDES (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 220 foot, 1,123 tons, built in 1864, at Cleveland, Ohio) became disabled when she sprang a leak and flooded. The water poured in and put out her fires. She sank about 7 miles off Grand Haven, Michigan, on Lake Michigan. Reports of the number of survivors varied from 17 to 32 and the number lost varied from 18 to 28.
On 15 September 1872, A. J. BEMIS (wood propeller tug, 49 tons, built in 1859, at Buffalo, New York) caught fire while underway. The fire originated under her boiler. She ran for shore but sank about six miles from Alpena, Michigan. No lives lost.
1882: The wooden passenger steamer ASIA got caught in a wild storm crossing Georgian Bay, fell into the trough and sank stern first. There were 123 passengers and crew listed as lost while only two on board survived.
1915: ONOKO of the Kinsman Transit Company foundered in Lake Superior off Knife Point, while downbound with wheat from Duluth to Toledo. The crew took to the lifeboats and were saved. The hull was located in 1987, upside down, in about 340 feet of water.
1928: MANASOO, in only her first season of service after being rebuilt for overnight passenger and freight service, foundered in Georgian Bay after the cargo shifted and the vessel overturned in heavy weather. There were 18 casualties, plus 46 head of cattle, and only 5 survived.
1940: KENORDOC, enroute to Bristol, UK, with a cargo of lumber was sunk due to enemy action as part of convoy SC 3 while 500 miles west of the Orkney Islands. The ship had fallen behind the convoy due to engine trouble, and was shelled by gunfire from U-48. There were 7 casualties including the captain and wireless operator. H.M.S. AMAZON completed the sinking as the bow of the drifting hull was still visible.
1940: The Norwegian freighter LOTOS came inland in 1938 delivering pulpwood to Cornwall and went aground there in a storm. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine while about 15 miles west of Rockall Island, Scotland, while inbound from Dalhousie, NB for Tyne, UK.
1962” A collision between the HARRY L. FINDLAY of the Kinsman Line and the Greek Liberty ship MESOLOGI occurred at Toledo. The latter began Seaway service that year and made a total of six inland voyages. It was scrapped at Aioi, Japan, as f) BLUE SAND after arriving in November 1969.
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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Sept 16, 2015 5:39:05 GMT -5
On September 16, 1893, HATTIE EARL (wooden schooner, 96 foot, 101 gross tons, built in 1869, at South Haven, Michigan) was driven ashore just outside the harbor of Michigan City, Indiana, and was pounded to pieces by the waves. No lives were lost.
At about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, September 16, 1990, the inbound motor ship BUFFALO passed close by while the tanker JUPITER was unloading unleaded gasoline at the Total Petroleum dock in the Saginaw River near Bay City, Michigan. As the BUFFALO passed the dock's aft pilings broke off and the fuel lines parted which caused a spark and ignited the spilled fuel. At the time 22,000 barrels of a total of 54,000 barrels were still aboard. Flames catapulted over 100 feet high filling the air with smoke that could be seen for 50 miles. The fire was still burning the next morning when a six man crew from Williams, Boots & Coots Firefighters and Hazard Control Specialists of Port Neches, Texas, arrived to fight the fire. By Monday afternoon they extinguished the fire only to have it re-ignite that night resulting in multiple explosions. Not until Tuesday morning on the 18th was the fire finally subdued with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard's BRAMBLE and BRISTOL BAY. The tanker, which was valued at $9 million, was declared a total constructive loss, though the engine room was relatively untouched. Unfortunately the fire claimed the life of one crew member, who drowned attempting to swim ashore. As a result the Coast Guard closed the river to all navigation. On October 19th the river was opened to navigation after the Gaelic tugs SUSAN HOEY and CAROLYN HOEY towed the JUPITER up river to the Hirschfield & Sons Dock at Bay City (formerly the Defoe Shipyard) where a crane was erected for dismantling the burned out hulk. Her engines were removed and shipped to New Bedford, Massachusetts, for future use. The river opening allowed American Steamship's BUFFALO to depart the Lafarge dock where she had been trapped since the explosion. JUPITER's dismantling was completed over the winter of 1990-91. Subsequent investigation by the NTSB, U.S. Coast Guard and the findings of a federal judge all exonerated the master and BUFFALO in the tragedy.
Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd. purchased all nine of the Soo River's fleet on September 16, 1982, for a reported C$2.5 million and all nine returned to service, although only four were running at the end of the season.
The NORISLE went into service September 16, 1946, as the first Canadian passenger ship commissioned since the NORONIC in 1913.
On September 16, 1952, the CASON J. CALLAWAY departed River Rouge, Michigan, for Duluth, Minnesota, on its maiden voyage for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.
On September 16, 1895, ARCTIC (2 mast wooden schooner, 113 foot, 85 gross tons, built in 1853, at Ashtabula, Ohio) was rammed and sunk by the steamer CLYDE in broad daylight and calm weather. ARCTIC was almost cut in half by the blow. The skipper of CLYDE was censured for the wreck and for his callous treatment of the schooner's crew afterwards. Luckily no lives were lost.
On September 16,1877, the 46 foot tug RED RIBBON, owned by W. H. Morris of Port Huron, Michigan, burned about 2 miles below St. Clair, Michigan. Capt. Morris ran the tug ashore and hurried to St. Clair to get assistance, but officials there refused to allow the steam fire engine to go outside the city. The tug was a total loss and was only insured for $1,000, half her value. She had just started in service in May of 1877, and was named for the reform movement that was in full swing at the time of her launch.
On September 16, 1900, LULU BEATRICE (2-mast wooden schooner, 72 foot, 48 gross tons, built in 1896, at Port Burwell, Ontario) was carrying coal on Lake Erie when she was wrecked on the shore near the harbor entrance at Port Burwell in a storm. One life was lost, the captain's wife.
1892 The wooden propeller VIENNA sank in foggy Whitefish Bay after beiing hit broadside by the wooden steamer NIPIGON. The latter survived and later worked for Canada Steamship Lines as b) MAPLEGRANGE and c) MAPLEHILL (i) but was laid up at Kingston in 1925 and scuttled in Lake Ontario in 1927.
1901 HUDSON was last seen dead in the water with a heavy list. The steeel package freighter had cleared Duluth the previous day with wheat and flax for Buffalo but ran into a furious storm and sank in Lake Superior off Eagle Harbor Light with the loss of 24-25 lives.
1906 CHARLES B. PACKARD hit the wreck of the schooner ARMENIA off Midddle Ground, Lake Erie and sank in 45 minutes. All on board were rescued and the hull was later dynamited as a hazard to navigation.
1937-- The large wooden tug G.R. GRAY (ii) of the Lake Superior Paper Co., got caught in a storm off Coppermine Point, Lake Superior, working with GARGANTUA on a log raft and fell into the trough. The stack was toppled but the vessel managed to reach Batchawana and was laid up. The hull was towed to Sault Ste. Marie in 1938 and eventually stripped out. The remains were taken to Thessalon in 1947 and remained there until it caught fire and burned in 1959.
1975 BJORSUND, a Norwegian tanker, visited the Seaway in 1966. The 22--year old vessel began leaking as b) AMERFIN enroute from Mexico to Panama and sank in the Pacific while under tow off Costa Rica.
1990 JUPITER was unloading at Bay City when the wake of a passing shipp separated the hose connection spreading gasoline on deck. An explosion and fire resulted. One sailor was lost as the ship burned for days and subsequently sank.
2005 Fire broke out aboard the tug JAMES A. HANNAH above Lock 2 of the Welland Canal while downbound with the barge 5101 loaded with asphalt, diesel and heavy oil. City of St. Catharines fire fighters help extinguish the blaze.
Feds will continue investigating cold-rolled steel imports
9/16 - The U.S. International Trade Commission found grounds to continue an investigation into U.S. whether China and six other countries have been dumping cold-rolled steel in the United States.
The Netherlands escaped further scrutiny.
A ruling is expected by Sept. 25 in a similar case involving hot-rolled steel, another major product made at Northwest Indiana's mills. U.S. Steel Gary Works, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor, ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor and U.S. Steel's Midwest Plant in Portage all make hot-rolled and cold-rolled products.
The ITC determined China, Brazil, India Japan, Korea, Russia and the United Kingdom have been dumping cold-rolled steel flat products at less than fair value. The board also concluded the governments of Brazil, China, India, Korea and Russia have been subsidizing their steelmakers, enabling them to sell steel in the United States for less than what they sell it for in their domestic markets.
ITC board members also voted to end an investigation into Dutch steel dumping.
ArcelorMittal USA, U.S. Steel, Fort Wayne-based Steel Dynamics and other major domestic steelmakers filed a trade case complaining that eight countries were dumping cold-rolled steel products that are used in cars, appliances, shipping containers, construction products and electrical equipment. In all, more than 10,900 steelworkers in the United States manufacture such products.
The U.S. Department of Commerce will now continue the investigation on imports from Brazil, China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the UK. Last year, those countries sent an estimated $1.2 billion worth of cold-rolled products to the United States, capturing an estimated 9.3 percent of the market.
A preliminary determination on countervailing duties is expected on Oct. 21, and a similar ruling on antidumping tariffs should take place on Jan. 4.
NWI Times
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Post by yachtsmanwilly on Sept 17, 2015 5:35:16 GMT -5
Fraser Shipyard reaches 125-year milestone
9/17 - Superior, Wis. - If you've driven over the Blatnik Bridge from Duluth to Superior, you have probably seen a ship being repaired or built at the Fraser Shipyard at some point.
Fraser Shipyards has been around since 1890, and the company is celebrating 125 years of business in the Twin Ports this year.
Senior Vice President James Farkas said the secret to keeping a business afloat for that long is keeping up with the times.
"I think it's important that, again, we recognize what the customers require and how do you add value," Farkas said. "And you add value by having a trained workforce and continuing to work to ensure your workforce is trained to do the jobs that they need to do, communicate with your customers, you work with the community, with the environmental agencies."
Such a long, involved history in the Twin Ports means it's about time to bring in some experts, which is where Shana Aue comes in. Aue is a special collections librarian at UWS, and she is in charge of the massive archive of Fraser Shipyards documents and blueprints donated by the company, maritime museum and others.
"Fraser's one of the longest. They've gone through various names, but they've been there for a very long time," Aue said. "A lot of companies unfortunately have gone out of business or been bought by a larger firm, so they're no longer really the local company. And that's something that's really special about Fraser."
Most of the archived materials are still being processed, but Aue said a lot of the items are from the 1950s to the 1980s.
"There were a lot of big technological advances in shipping during those years, and a lot of them happened right here at Fraser," Aue said. "So that's just really exciting to learn how much was going on in our community and still is."
Many of Fraser's employees are third-generation workers. Farkas said the Shipyards hopes to recruit fourth-generation employees in the future. The company also hopes to continue to expand its customer base, and a sales manager said Fraser also is looking to begin some non-maritime manufacturing.
WDIO
Harbor tour aimed at scoring funding for clean-up projects
9/17 - Duluth, Minn. – The Vista Fleet became a funding platform Tuesday for environmental agencies that are hoping for state funding to help clean up the Duluth-Superior Harbor.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency invited the Senate Capital Investment Committee for a first-hand look at successful clean-up project for contaminated sites in the harbor, as well as sites that still need millions of dollars in funding to restore.
"The hands on, feet on the ground, is so much more helpful than just sitting in committee down in St. Paul, and I think all of the people I have talked to have appreciated that opportunity,” said Sen. LeRoy Stumpf, chairman of the Senate Capital Investment Committee.
There are 43 contaminated sites across the Great Lakes from decades-old industrial companies when pollution regulations were not in place, according to officials with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Fox21
On September 17, 1898, KEEPSAKE (2-mast wooden schooner, 183 foot, 286 gross tons, built in 1867, at Newport [Marine City], Michigan) was carrying coal from Ashtabula when she was struck by a terrible storm on Lake Erie. Her rudder was damaged, a sail torn away and her bulwarks were smashed. The CITY OF ERIE saw her distress signals at 3:30 a.m. and came to help. With the CITY OF ERIE's searchlight shining on the doomed schooner, a huge wave swept over the vessel taking away everything on deck and snapping both masts. The crew, some only half dressed, all managed to get into the lifeboat. They rowed to the CITY OF ERIE and were all rescued. Three days later, the other lifeboat and some wreckage from the KEEPSAKE were found near Ashtabula by some fishermen.
GRIFFON (Hull#18) was launched September 17, 1955, at St. Catharines, Ontario by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd. for Beaconsfield Steamship Ltd., Montreal, Quebec. Renamed b.) FRANQUELIN in 1967, c.) EVA DESGAGNES in 1987. Sold foreign in 1989, renamed d.) TELCHAC, scrapped at Tuxpan, Mexico, in 1992.
On September 17, 1985, PATERSON suffered a crankcase explosion as she was bound for Quebec City from Montreal. She was repaired and cleared on September 21. Renamed b.) PINEGLEN in 2002.
On September 17, 1830, WILLIAM PEACOCK (wood side wheel steamer, 102 foot, 120 tons, built in 1829, at Barcelona, New York) suffered the first major boiler explosion on Lake Erie while she was docked in Buffalo, New York. 15 - 30 lives were lost. She was rebuilt two years later and eventually foundered in a storm in 1835, near Ripley, Ohio.
On September 17, 1875, the barge HARMONY was wrecked in a gale at Chicago, Illinois, by colliding with the north pier, which was under water. This was the same place where the schooner ONONGA was wrecked a week earlier and HARMONY came in contact with that sunken schooner. No lives were lost.
On September 17, 1900, a storm carried away the cabin and masts of the wrecked wooden 4-mast bulk freight barge FONTANA. The 231-foot vessel had been wrecked and sunk in a collision at the mouth of the St. Clair River in the St. Clair Flats on August 3,1900. She had settled in the mud and gradually shifted her position. She eventually broke in two. After unsuccessful salvage attempts, the wreck was dynamited.
Tragedy struck in 1949, when the Canada Steamship Lines cruise ship NORONIC burned at Pier 9 in Toronto, Ontario. By morning the ship was gutted, 104 passengers were known to be dead and 14 were missing. Because of land reclamation and the changing face of the harbor, the actual site of Noronic's berth is now in the lobby of the Harbour Castle Westin hotel.
1909: The towline connecting the ALEXANDER HOLLEY and SIR WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN broke in a Lake Superior storm and the former, a whaleback barge, almost stranded on Sawtooth Shoal. The anchors caught in time and it took 5 hours to rescue the crew.
1980: HERMION began Great Lakes trading shortly after entering service in 1960. The vessel stranded as d) AEOLIAN WIND, about a half mile from Nakhodka, USSR, during a voyage from North Vietnam to Cuba. The ship was refloated on October 8, 1980, and scrapped in 1981 at Nakhodka.
The Marly was a general cargo carrier that came through the Seaway in 1982. The ship had been built by Rickmers Werft and launched as a) Susanne on June 15, 1976. It was delivered to Ebert Lund's Rederi on Oct. 8, 1976, for service under the flag of Norway.
The 457 foot, 10 inch long freighter could carry 15,449 tons of cargo deadweight and was operated by a crew of 28 sailors. Each had a single cabin and the vessel had a small cinema and swimming pool on board for their traveling pleasure.
Susanne was sold to South Boston & Quincy Shipping Inc. and registered in Liberia as b) Marly in 1979. They had the ship visit the Great Lakes in 1982 but it was sold for continued service as c) Taichee in 1984. Another sale in 1976 led to the final name of d) Bismihita'la, still Liberian registry, in 1986.
On Aug. 30, 2001, this vessel began flooding in #2 hold and took on a significant list 500 miles off Capetown, South Africa. The ship was en route, in ballast, from Durban, South Africa, to Santos, Brazil, when the trouble developed.
Power was lost and the drifting ship sent out a distress call. The Muriel Yorke arrived on the scene and was able to save 25 of the sailors but another three perished when their lifeboat drifted under the propeller of the rescue ship.
Bismihita'la was taken in tow for Capetown but it became evident that this effort was doomed so a decision was made to scuttle the vessel on Sept. 17, 2001, sending it to the bottom in a position recorded as 25.2 S / 09.23 E.
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