Today in Great Lakes History

[yachtsmanwilly]

1/13 - Cornwall, Ont. – With water temperatures well above the 10-year average, the St. Lawrence Seaway closed its 2015 navigation season ice free on December 31st. Thirty-six million tonnes of cargo transited the waterway during the season, with grain, at volumes well above the five-year average, leading the way. The Seaway once again proved to be a key asset for farmers as they shipped their crops to markets at home and overseas.

Grain volumes on the Seaway amounted to 10.8 million tonnes, one of the strongest years in recent memory. The Port of Thunder Bay, the principal point of entry for grain into the Great Lakes / Seaway System, reported its second-best season in 15 years. Combined with grain being loaded onto ships from other ports such as Hamilton, Duluth / Superior and Toledo, agricultural commodities have become increasingly important to the Great Lakes / Seaway System.

Terence Bowles, President and CEO of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), said “the Seaway continues to serve as a vital trade artery, enabling cargo to move to more than 50 countries across the globe.”

In May, the SLSMC received the Promising Innovation in Transport Award by the International Transport Forum at the OECD, during the 2015 Summit of Transport Ministers held in Leipzig, Germany. The award recognized the SLSMC’s pioneering work in developing, with the supplier Cavotec, the world’s first Hands-Free Mooring (HFM) system for ships transiting locks. The use of this equipment will largely replace the traditional practice of manually securing ships in locks with steel mooring lines, enabling the Seaway to orchestrate gains in operating efficiency and safety, and become yet more competitive.

On this subject, Terence Bowles said “the OECD’s recognition of the Seaway’s work on Hands Free Mooring underscores the value of the innovative spirit demonstrated by our employees, a quality that is essential to success in today’s global economy. With strong support from a wide variety of stakeholders, we are setting the stage for a thoroughly modern lock operating system, which will ensure the Seaway’s future competitiveness and sustainability well into the 21st century, and attract more vessels to use our waterway.”

The 2015 season opened on April 2, about a week later than usual, reflecting the frigid conditions in early spring, and closed on December 31 with the passage of the vessel Mississagi through Welland Canal Lock 1 at 3:41 a.m. The last vessel to exit the Montreal / Lake Ontario section was the Baie St. Paul, which exited the St. Lambert Lock at 8:41 p.m. on December 30. The 2015 navigation season was 274 days in length.

“Now that the navigation season has concluded, winter maintenance projects at the U.S. Snell and Eisenhower locks are already underway. The maintenance of the U.S. locks is a year round job and Seaway employees are diligently working as we continue to rehabilitate and modernize the Seaway infrastructure under our Asset Renewal Program,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

“The 2015 navigation season saw highs and lows in traditional cargoes that move through the Seaway System. Global demand for coal remained below last year’s levels whereas general cargo to and from international and domestic markets remained high with over a 100% increase. Project cargo and dry bulk materials to support the construction and manufacturing industry also remained in positive standings.”

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation





Kingston developer to buy marine museum property

1/13 - Kingston, Ont. – Kingston’s marine museum property, including the historic dry dock, is about to be sold to Patry Developments Inc. Company owner Jay Patry said he is planning to build a high-rise apartment on the 3.8-acre prime waterfront property — and to find a way to keep the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in its longtime home.

“We are the successful bidder for the dry dock,” Patry confirmed Monday. He purchased the land and buildings from the federal government for $3.2 million.

“We are going to work closely with the authorities that regulate the property and put some type of highrise on the site,” Patry told the Whig-Standard. “The feds acted like any smart seller. They took the highest bidder.”

Information about the sale came on the birthday of Sir John A. Macdonald, who, as prime minister, laid the cornerstone for the historic dry dock in 1890. For the purchase price, Patry gets the development property, the museum building, dry dock, and a crumbling deepwater wharf.

The City of Kingston could have bought the property for a dollar, but successive councils voted against that plan because of the estimated $23 million it would cost to fix the building and clean up the contamination. The marine museum still has a lease with the federal government that goes to the end of this year

As the new owner, Patry would have to provide 120 days’ notification if he wants the museum to vacate the site. He said, however, that he wants to work with the museum and city officials to form a partnership to keep the museum onsite.

The facility includes a large archival section, a 12,000-volume library, 31,000 photographs, 4,000 artifacts and art pieces, and 50,000 ships’ plans.

“We met with the marine museum and will work with them to partner with them to keep them in the space. It’s in disrepair and needs a lot to bring it up to par,” he said. “We feel the dry dock is best served as a dry dock. It should be left dry. We have to look at the site and determine how to preserve it and work with the museum to keep them there.”

The chairman of the board of directors at the marine museum, Christopher West, confirmed having “very preliminary” talks with Patry. “He said he’s keen to find a way to keep the museum on the site,” West said.

From the museum’s point of view, West said it’s most important to obtain a “long-term assurance of its residency at a site.” Without that stability, he said, it’s difficult to sell memberships and ask for donations.

“We’re starting the dance,” West said. “Ideally, sooner rather than later this year, with the involvement of the city as well, we can come to a meeting of the minds and a sustainable solution for the museum.”

Patry said it will be several years before ground is broken at the marine museum property.

“I’m interested in putting something extraordinary there. Something that’s not normal. Whatever that is — I don’t know what,” he said. “I want something that’s going to be looked at in 20 or 50 years and people say, ‘that’s cool.’”

Whig-Standard





Exhibit spotlights tower campaign; Fitzgerald exhibit now open daily

1/13 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – The Door County Maritime Museum is shining a light on its campaign to build an 11-story tower at its location in Sturgeon Bay.

The museum recently restored the Fresnel lens that was formally housed in the Green Bay Entrance Lighthouse on permanent loan from the United State Lighthouse. The light is now situated in the lower lobby of the museum as part of an informational display on the tower project. The lens will sit enclosed atop the tower when it is completed.

Calling it a “major step forward,” the museum expansion serves both as an observation platform for the community’s stunning harbor and additional space for an array of state-of-the-art exhibits for all ages.

The “Reaching New Heights in Our Maritime Heritage” campaign will ultimately produce an addition that will promote Northeastern Wisconsin’s shipbuilders and maritime-related businesses as well as the world’s most extensive navigable waterways system.

While the expansion project will include an expanded lobby and museum store, the highlight will be the elevator ride to the 10th floor indoor observation deck with its 360-degree view of Sturgeon Bay. Guests will be able to see downtown Sturgeon Bay to the north and south as well as seeing commercial and recreational boat traffic in the harbor.

From here, visitors will have a simulated lighthouse experience by climbing the spiral staircase to the 11th floor beacon enclosure and open observation deck.

The lens from the Green Bay lighthouse was originally installed in 1935. It dates back to approximately 1880, having also been used at a different location. The lens design was created by French physicist Augustine Fresnel in 1822 and was used extensively in the United States, including in as many as 12 Door County lights. For more information related to the campaign or to support the project, please contact the museum’s executive director, Rick O’Farrell, at [phone].

Meanwhile, the museum’s exhibit marking the 40th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald can again be viewed daily at the museum in Sturgeon Bay.

While not one of the museum’s larger exhibits, it effectively pays tribute to the hardy seamen who braved some of the most difficult weather conditions ever experienced on Lake Superior.

Highlights include a deck light and life jacket given to the museum when the Fitzgerald was in Sturgeon Bay for off-season work. A video featuring radio conversations recorded on Nov. 10, 1975 discussing the possible sinking and rescue attempts is another intriguing aspect of the presentation. Artwork of the Fitzgerald from the museum’s collection is also interspersed throughout the exhibit.

Additional artifacts have been added to the exhibit while on display. One is a searchlight from the Arthur M. Anderson which was sailing near the Fitzgerald and courageously battled the storm in the search for survivors. The Anderson is currently docked at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay. Also added is an impressive eight-foot model of the “Fitz” crafted by Jerry Guenther, whose model of the Titanic was the centerpiece of the museum’s 100th commemorative exhibit of its sinking in 2012.

Door County Marine Museum


1/13 - It’s still too early to say if the propulsion problem that sidelined the Navy’s latest Littoral Combat Ship – the Great Lakes-built USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) – is a class-wide issue, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of Littoral Ships & Systems, told reporters on Monday.

The company and the service are now combing through a series of computerized “logic statements” to see what series of instructions caused the two clutch mechanisms in the ships combining gear – the mechanism that pairs the ship’s Rolls Royce MT30 gas turbines with the ship’s Colt-Pielstick diesel engines to Milwaukee’s water jets—to slip, wear and likely contaminated the lube oil system, according to a working theory of the casualty failure provided to USNI News last month.

“We’re still going through he root cause analysis with the Navy on that. It’s probably too early to neck down to exactly what it is,” Lockheed’s Joe North told reporters at a briefing ahead of the Surface Navy Association 2016 symposium. “We don’t know if it’s a single ship issue or if it’s a class issue, right now.”

Since the ship was towed into port at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va. on Dec. 11 engineers from Lockheed, its sub contractors – including German gear manufacturer RENK – and the service have combed through the logic statements looking for what specific software instructions the ship’s computers sent to the gearing system that resulted in the slips that sidelined Milwaukee.

“It’s complicated because it’s through he propulsion train we have to have to go through all the logic statements and work everything through,” North said. “The positive side is we took [the clutches] out and we’re replacing them. You’ll see her sailing out here in a about a month’s time she’ll be under her own power sailing to Mayport.”

The issue with the combining gear, USNI News understands, has not been seen in any of the other Freedom-class ships and the service has told USNI News Milwaukee’s problems were not part of a larger class problem.

Following the repairs – estimated to complete in early February – the ship will move to Mayport to undergo shock trial tests for the service.

USNI News

13 January 2005 - GENESIS EXPLORER (steel propeller tanker, 435 foot, built in 1974, at Port Weller, Ontario, formerly a.) IMPERIAL ST. CLAIR & b.) ALGOSAR) sailed from Halifax for Quebec City. She was registered in the Comoros Islands. She was carrying a few members of her former crew for training purposes, but her new crew was African.

On 13 January 1918, the Goodrich Line’s ALABAMA and the Grand Trunk ferries MILWAUKEE and GRAND HAVEN all became stuck in the ice off Grand Haven, Michigan. The vessels remained imprisoned in the ice for the next two weeks. When the wind changed, they were freed but Grand Haven’s harbor was still inaccessible. The ALABAMA sailed for Muskegon and stalled in the 18-inch thick ice on Muskegon Lake.

After lightering 3,000 tons of coal, the a.) BENSON FORD was refloated in 1974 and proceeded to the Toledo Overseas Terminal to be reloaded.

In 1979, the U.S.C.G. tug ARUNDEL was beset by windrowed ice at Minneapolis Shoal in Green Bay. Strong winds piled the ice on her stern and soon she had a 25-degree list. The crew feared that she may sink and abandoned the tug, walking across the ice with the help of a spotlight onboard the ACACIA, which also became beset by the heavy ice. The MACKINAW, SUNDEW and a Coast Guard helicopter were dispatched to the scene, but northwest winds relieved the ice pressure and the crew was able to re-board the ARUNDEL. The ARUNDEL sails today as the tug c.) ERIKA KOBASIC.

On January 13, 1970, the lower engine room and holds of the SEWELL AVERY accidentally flooded, sinking her to the bottom of Duluth Harbor causing minimal damage, other than an immense cleanup effort.

January 13, 1909 - The PERE MARQUETTE 17 was freed after her grounding the previous December.

[yachtsmanwilly]

On this day in 1970, IRVING S. OLDS entered winter layup at Lorain to close the longest season in Great Lakes shipping history.

On 14 January 1945, the W. Butler Shipyard built C1-M-AV1 ship LEBANON (Hull#40) was the last vessel through the Soo Locks. Ice was a serious problem. The newly-commissioned icebreaker U.S.C.G.C. MACKINAW escorted the LEBANON to Lake Huron. The locks had never before been open this late in January. They were kept open to allow newly-built cargo vessels to sail from Superior, Wisconsin, to the Atlantic Ocean where they were needed for the war effort.

Scrapping began on CHICAGO TRIBUNE in 1989, by International Marine Salvage in Port Colborne, Ontario. January 14, 1920 - The Grand Trunk carferry GRAND HAVEN was fast in the ice three miles out of Grand Haven.

In 1977, CANADIAN MARINER laid up at the Consol Fuel dock in Windsor after her attempt to reach Port Colborne was thwarted by heavy ice off Long Point.

On Jan 14, 1978, JAMES R. BARKER departed the Soo Line ore dock in Ashland, Wisconsin, where she had been laid-up since August 7, 1977, due to the iron ore miner’s strike.

1946: The BADGER STATE, a former Great Lakes canal ship as a) FORDONIAN, b) YUKONDOC and c) GEORGIAN, foundered off the mouth of the Grijalva River in the Gulf of Mexico.

1969: SAGAMO, retired former flagship of the Lake Muskoka passenger ships in Central Ontario, burned at the dock in Gravenhurst as a total loss.

1981: The former Lake Erie rail car ferry and later barge MAITLAND NO. 1 rolled over between Yarmouth, NS and Rockland, ME. An attempt to tow the vessel upside down failed and it sank. The ship was under tow of IRVING MAPLE and bound for Port Everglades, FL with a load of scrap. It may have been renamed b) TRIO TRADO at Quebec City on the way south.

Sturgeon Bay, Wis. –
Wilfred Sykes arrived in Sturgeon Bay on Wednesday for winter lay-up, joining seven others vessels already in lay-up at Bay Shipbuilding. Others expected but yet to arrive include the 1,000 footer Mesabi Miner, due sometime on Jan. 14. The 1,000 footer James R. Barker is also expected, along with Lee A. Tregurtha and Joseph L. Block. Also in winter lay-up are American Spirit, Alpena, American Courage, John G. Munson for engine conversion, Cason J. Callaway, Arthur M. Anderson (which did not sail in 2015) and the tug Invincible (which did not sail in 2015). In total there should be 12 vessels spending the winter lay-up of 2015/16 in Sturgeon.

Duluth-Superior season winds to a close; 7 lakers to be in port for winter

1/14 - Duluth, Minn. – The Port of Duluth-Superior is welcoming seven ships for winter layup this year. In fact, the Indiana Harbor laid up early (on Nov. 3) and a major repowering project is already underway at Fraser Shipyards on the Herbert C. Jackson, in dry dock since early December.

The Soo Locks are set to close at midnight on Friday, Jan. 15. By then, four more wintering vessels are expected to have arrived in the Twin Ports beginning Thursday morning with the anticipated arrival of the Edwin H. Gott, followed Friday or later by the American Century, Kaye E. Barker and Philip R. Clarke. Transit times vary with wind and weather.

Boatwatchers will have to wait just a little longer for the arrival of the very last laker – the Paul R. Tregurtha – as the 1,000-footer is making one or two late season, intra-lake deliveries of iron ore. Her arrival beneath the Aerial Bridge next week will officially mark the end of the 2015 Great Lakes shipping season in the Twin Ports. The last ‘saltie’ of the season, Federal Bering, departed Duluth on Dec. 18; the St. Lawrence Seaway closed on Dec. 31.

In all, seven Great Lakes freighters will be wintering in the Twin Ports this year:

Vessel Location Arrival
Indiana Harbor Enbridge Dock 11/03/15
Herbert C. Jackson Fraser Shipyards 12/11/15
Kaye E. Barker Fraser Shipyards
Edwin H. Gott Port Terminal Berth 1
Philip R. Clarke Port Terminal Berth 4
American Century Port Terminal Berth 6/7
Paul R. Tregurtha Midwest Energy Resources Co.


While ships’ crews will take the next few, well-deserved weeks off, there is no real ‘down time’ on the waterfront. Hundreds of workers – engineers, welders, pipefitters, mechanics, electricians and others –will spend the next eight weeks doing heavy-duty maintenance and repair work so these vessels are ready to sail when the Soo Locks reopen on March 25 and the 2016 Great Lakes-Seaway shipping season gets underway.

The Jackson’s conversion is part of $110 million that U.S. vessel operators will spend on maintaining/modernizing ships during this offseason, according to Lake Carriers’ Association. Repairs and maintenance work will constitute $60 million of that total while the rest will be taken up by special project work, such as repowering or installing exhaust scrubbers.

Vessel arrival times are estimates and may change without notice.

Duluth Seaway Port Authority





Coast Guard begins icebreaking operations in western Great Lakes

1/14 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – U.S. Coast Guard Sector Sault Sainte Marie commenced Operation Taconite Wedneday morning in response to expanded ice growth in the commercial ports of western Lake Superior, Green Bay and the lower St. Marys River. Before ice impedes commercial navigation, several icebreakers were assigned to each region.

Overnight, USCGC Mackinaw was dispatched to Green Bay to assist two vessels into the Port of Green Bay. USCGC Alder was assigned to manage the ice breaking needs of western Lake Superior, specifically the twin ports of Duluth, Minn. and Superior, Wis. USCGCs Mobile Bay and Katmai Bay were assigned to the St. Marys River. In the coming days, as ice growth expands on the Great Lakes, additional Coast Guard ice breakers will join the operation.

Operation Taconite is the Coast Guard’s largest domestic icebreaking operation. The operation encompasses Lake Superior, St. Marys River, the Straits of Mackinac, Georgian Bay, and all of Lake Michigan. As part of Operation Taconite’s commencement, the process of closing the Pipe Island and West Neebish Channels in the St. Marys River has begun, with an effective closure time of 1 p.m. on Jan. 16. In the coming weeks, additional waterways may close after consideration is given to the protection of the marine environment, the need for cross-channel traffic (e.g. ferries) and the safety of the island residents who in the course of their daily business use naturally-formed ice bridges for transportation to and from the mainland.

The implementation of Operation Taconite places additional movement criteria on commercial ships plying the western Lakes, St. Marys River and the Straits of Mackinac. These measures include restricting tanker transits to daylight in the presence of ice, reducing speeds by 2 miles per hour in specified locations to reduce incidental ice breaking, and requiring additional voice and position reporting points throughout the operation’s area of responsibility. The Coast Guard recommends all recreational ice users plan their activities carefully, dress appropriately, use caution on the ice, and stay away from shipping channels. Recreational users and island residents should stay tuned to local media resources for the status of regional waterway closures.

USCG

[yachtsmanwilly]

The 1,000 footer Mesabi Miner arrived in the early afternoon on Thursday for winter lay-up at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay. Her arrival marks the seventh vessel to arrive, joining eight other vessels so far that are wintering at Bay Shipbuilding. Yet to arrive are the 1,000 footer James R. Barker, Joseph L. Block and Lee A. Tregurtha. Both Barker and Tregurtha are expected to receive gas scrubbers. The U.S.C.G. icebreaker Mackinaw was standing by in the bay north of Bayship while the Miner was being eased into the huge graving dock. Mackinaw was returning from breaking ice to Green Bay to allow a ship to get in to unload on Thursday night.

In 1978, the upbound McKEE SONS, LEON FALK JR, WILLIAM P. SNYDER JR, A.H. FERBERT and CHAMPLAIN became stuck in heavy ice outside Cleveland Harbor. Eventually they were freed with the help of the U.S.C.G. icebreaker NORTHWIND and the U.S.C.G. MARIPOSA.

FORT YORK (Hull#160) was launched January 15, 1958, at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards, Ltd.

In 1917, the ANN ARBOR NO 6 left Ecorse for Frankfort on her maiden voyage.

On 15 January 1873, A. Muir began building a wooden 3-mast schooner ("full sized canaller") at his shipyard in Port Huron. Fourteen men were employed to work on her, including master builder James Perry. The schooner was to be the exact counterpart of the GROTON, the first vessel built at that yard. The vessel's dimensions were 138-foot keel, 145 foot overall, 26 foot 2 inches beam and 11 foot 6 inch depth.

On 15 January 1886, the tug KITTIE HAIGHT was sold to Mr. Fisken of Toronto for $3,900.

1986: The former Greek freighter PAULINA C., a Seaway trader beginning in 1976, ran aground off the Dutch coast near Rotterdam as c) RIO GRANDE. It was refloated January 23 and became d) NEPTUNIA later in 1986. It arrived at Bombay, India, for scrapping on December 3, 1986.

1990: The tanker MAYA FARBER came through the Seaway in 1981. It was anchored off Port Sudan as e) RAAD AL-BAKRY VIII when there was an explosion in a cargo tank. Fire broke out and the vessel was gutted. The hull later broke in two and the after end sank. The forebody was sold for scrap and arrived at Alang, India, for dismantling on March 28, 1990.

[yachtsmanwilly]

On 18 January 2004, the Great Lakes Fleet’s 1000 footer EDGAR B. SPEER became stuck in the ice in the Rock Cut in the St. Mary’s River. Over the next two days, the U.S.C.G.C. MACKINAW tried to free her, but unsuccessfully. On 21 January, the tugs RELIANCE, MISSOURI, JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR and JOYCE L. VAN ENKEVORT all coordinated their efforts under the direction of Wellington Maritime’s Captain John Wellington and got the SPEER free.

The CABOT was refloated on January 18, 1967. On December 16, 1966, while loading at Montreal, the CABOT rolled over on her side and sank. The CABOT's stern section, used in the interim as the stern section of the b.) CANADIAN EXPLORER, is now the stern section of c.) ALGOMA TRANSFER.

The MONDOC had her Canadian registry closed on January 18, 1979. The vessel had been renamed b) CORAH ANN and sold to Jamaican company. CORAH ANN was scrapped in 2003.

The National Steamship Co. was incorporated January 18, 1906.

L. P. Mason and Company of E. Saginaw, Michigan sold the steam barge PORTER CHAMBERLAIN (wooden steam barge, 134 foot, 257 gross tons, built in 1874, at Marine City, Michigan) on 18 January 1888, to Comstock Brothers and L. & H. D. Churchill of Alpena, Michigan.

1925: JOHN RUGEE, a wooden steamer in the George Hall Coal Co. fleet, was destroyed by a fire while spending the winter at Ogdensburg.

1938: The passenger ship WAUBIC was damaged by a fire at Kingsville, Ontario, while at winter quarters. It was rebuilt at Port Dover later in the year as b) ERIE ISLE.

1942: LAKE FLAMBEAU was built at Duluth in 1919. It was sailing as c) FRANCES SALMAN when it was sunk by U-552 off the coast of Newfoundland with the loss of 28 lives.

1983: The Greek freighter KIMOLIAKI PISTIS came through the Seaway in 1981. It caught fire on this date in 1983 and was abandoned enroute from Recife, Brazil, to a Black Sea port. The hull was towed into Piraeus, Greece, January 27 and declared a total loss. It first traveled to the Great Lakes as a) MINAS CONJURO in 1969 and then as b) EUGENIO in 1979. The vessel arrived at Split, Yugoslavia, for scrapping on February 21, 1984.

1998: The second MAPLEGLEN caught fire in the engine room while in lay-up at Owen Sound and sustained about $40,000 in damage.

1/17 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – With the arrival of the Great Lakes cargo ships Wilfred Sykes and Mesabi Miner Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, the Bay Shipbuilding Co. "winter fleet" is about three-quarters complete.

The lineup posted on the Door County Maritime Museum website, dcmm.org, lists 16 vessels scheduled to undergo winter maintenance at the Bay Ship yard in Sturgeon Bay. As of Friday morning all but five were in port.

Latest to arrive was the Mesabi Miner, a 1,004-foot carrier owned by Interlake Steamship Co., which came through the downtown Sturgeon Bay bridges around 2 p.m. Thursday. The Sykes, a 678-footer owned by Central Marine Logistics, arrived on Wednesday.

Still to come are the 1,004-foot James R. Barker, the Joseph L. Block, Lee A. Tregurtha, and the tug Michigan with barge Great Lakes. The Lee A. Tregurtha is due Feb. 2, while the other were scheduled for arrival over the next few days.

Part of Fincantieri Marine Group, Bay Ship – Door County's largest employer – is one of the Great Lakes' major hubs for repair and maintenance of the big cargo ships that ply the Lakes. Parent company Fincantieri recently completed a $26 million capital expansion plan for the facility including a new floating drydock, computer-aided manufacturing equipment, and climate-controlled manufacturing facilities.

Most recently the Sturgeon Bay City Council on Jan. 5 approved closing portions of two streets near downtown, First Avenue and Jefferson Street, to accommodate Bay Ship's planned purchase of the now-vacant Palmer Johnson Yachts facilities, provided the company meet 11 conditions negotiated with city officials.

Green Bay Press Gazette


NORTHERN VENTURE closed the Welland Canal for the season as she passed downbound for Hamilton with coal in 1975.

In 1978, the CLIFFS VICTORY, JOSEPH H. FRANTZ, WILLIAM G. MATHER, ROBERT C. NORTON, CRISPIN OGLEBAY and J. BURTON AYERS formed a convoy in the Detroit River bound for Cleveland.

PHILIP D. BLOCK (Hull#789) was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by the American Ship Building in 1925.

The tanker GREAT LAKES was launched in 1963, as the a.) SINCLAIR GREAT LAKES (Hull#1577) at Decatur, Alabama, by Ingalls Iron Works Co.

JOHN E. F. MISENER was float launched in 1951, as a.) SCOTT MISENER (Hull#11) at St. Catharines, Ontario, by Port Weller Drydocks, Ltd.

January 17, 1902 - PERE MARQUETTE 2 ran aground at Ludington.

PERE MARQUETTE 19 grounded in limited visibility on January 17, 1916, two miles south of Big Point Sable, Michigan, 600 feet off shore. The captain made three unsuccessful attempts to find the Ludington Harbor entrance and on the turn around for the fourth attempt she grounded.

On 17 January 1899, the GERMANIA (wooden propeller freighter, 136 foot, 237 gross tons, built in 1875, at Marine City, Michigan) caught fire and burned to the water's edge at Ecorse, Michigan. The previous day, Norman Reno of Ecorse did some painting inside the cabin and it was presumed that the stove used to heat the cabin may have caused the blaze. The vessel was in winter lay-up at the rear of the home of Mr. W. G. Smith, her owner.

2000: FEDERAL VIBEKE got stuck in the ice on the St. Lawrence and was almost carried into the bridge at Quebec City. The vessel was bound for Sorel with steel. It first came to the Great Lakes in 1993 after previous visits as a) NOSIRA LIN beginning in 1981, b) DAN BAUTA in 1989, and c) KRISTIANIAFJORD in 1991. It was back as e) KALISTI in 2000 and f) NOBILITY in 2004. This bulk carrier arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping as h) OPAL II and was beached on November 14, 2012.



Soo Locks close with Great Lakes shipping down about 10 percent

1/16 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The Great Lakes shipping season is officially over for the next couple months, ending a tough year for Midwest iron ore mines and the ships that carry taconite for steel mills.

On Friday, Jan. 15, the Soo Locks close on the St. Mary's River in Sault Ste. Marie — an annual tradition that allows the complex to get a jump on winter maintenance before shipping ramps up again with the locks re-opening March 25.

The Soo Locks are the last Great Lakes locks to close each year. On Dec. 30, the Welland Canal through Ontario closed. On Dec. 31, the St. Lawrence Seaway locks on the St. Lawrence River closed.

Lock closures generally coincide with the start of icebreaking, a tame labor thus far this year with ice buildup mostly limited to bays, inlets and rivers around the lakes. Across the basin, the total Great Lakes ice cover is about 6.6 percent.

Cargo tonnage through the Soo Locks was down this season by about 9 million tons, according to Allan Frappier, chief of lock operations. Tonnage through the St. Lawrence Seaway locks was down about 9.5 percent.

Ships moved 77.5 million tons through the Soo Locks locks in the 2014 season, but only about 68.4 million this season. Overall, a total of 39.6 million tons moved through the Seaway locks this season, down from about 44 million tons.

According to the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, coal shipments were down more than 40 percent compared to 2014, grain shipments and liquid bulk cargos were separately down nearly 11 percent and general cargo dropped by 15.4 percent.

Although some bulk cargos like salt are moved around the lower lakes during the brief off-season, most vessels have laid-up at various ports around the Great Lakes by now — some as early as November, thanks to a global iron ore and steel surplus that's caused layoffs and idled mills and mines in several states. Click here to read more of the story, and view a photo gallery





Engineers prepare for closure of Soo Locks

1/16 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. - The Soo Locks will close its gates Friday night, officially ending the shipping season. Over the next 10 weeks, engineers there will carry out a number of important repairs to the Poe and MacArthur lock.

"We have work going on with the embedded anchorages of the Poe Lock," said area engineer Kevin Sprague. "We will also continue work regarding the electrical rehabilitation of the MacArthur lock as well as sand blasting and painting of the bulkheads on the MacArthur lock."

Both of the locks are several decades old. Engineers say that the repairs are crucial in making sure that the locks can confine to handle the heavy flow of commercial shipping.

"We have a very tight schedule moving forward and the last thing we want is to encounter any delays because of some mechanical issue that we overlooked," said Sprague.

The repair operations will be made a little bit easier for the engineers due to calmer than usual winter conditions, however the work itself is still dangerous and the repair crews are trained to expect the unexpected.

"Working conditions have been a lot better than during the past few seasons," said Chief of Lock Operations Allan Frappier. "But you still must prepare for the worst."

The shipping season that is now about to come to an end has been somewhat of a disappointment as only 3,400 cargo vessels carrying about 68 million tons of cargo passed through the locks. Those numbers represent a considerable decline in traffic from previous years.

UpNorthLive

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On 19 January 1824, the Welland Canal Company was incorporated to build the first Welland Canal.

DAVID M. WHITNEY (steel propeller freighter, 412 foot, 4,626 gross tons) was launched on 19 January 1901, by the Detroit Ship Building Company (Hull #138) in Wyandotte, Michigan, for the Gilchrist Transportation Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) EDWIN L. BOOTH in 1914, c.) G.N. WILSON in 1921, d.) THOMAS BRITT in 1928, and e.) BUCKEYE in 1943. She lasted until 1969, when she was scrapped in Spain.

January 19, 1927 - The Grand Trunk carferry MADISON was christened with a bottle of Wisconsin milk. She entered service in March of 1927.

CLARENCE B. RANDALL, the a.) J.J. SULLIVAN of 1907, was towed to Windsor, Ontario, on January 19, 1987, for scrapping.

1967: The former ELMBAY ran aground near Barra Grande along the coast of northern Brazil as e) SIMANSUR and was abandoned as a total loss. The ship saw Great Lakes service from 1923 until 1942 for several firms including Canada Steamship Lines.

1998: The Cypriot freighter FLARE was south of Newfoundland when it broke in two while inbound in ballast for Montreal. The stern section sank quickly. The bow drifted for several days before it too went down. Four members of the crew clung to an overturned lifeboat and were saved. The ship had been a Seaway trader as a) DORIC FLAME in 1977 and returned as b) FLAME in 1987 and as c) FLARE in 1993.

[yachtsmanwilly]

U.S.-flag cargo movement on lakes down 3.3 percent in 2015

1/20 - Cleveland, Ohio – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 87.2 million tons of cargo in 2015, a decrease of 3.3 percent compared to 2014. The end-year tally is also the lowest since 2009 when the U.S.-flag float totaled 66.5 million tons.

Iron ore cargos tumbled 10.4 percent to 40.9 million tons, again, the lowest total since 2009.

Coal cargos totaled 17.65 million tons, a decrease of less than one percent, or 118,000 tons, which is the equivalent of roughly two cargos in a 1,000-foot-long laker.

Limestone cargos increased nearly 8 percent to 23.1 million tons, the highest total since 2008.

U.S.-flag cement cargos rose 6.3 percent to 3.45 million tons. Salt cargos were almost a carbon copy of 2014 – 1.4 million tons. Sand shipments dipped 15 percent to 320,000 tons. Grain cargos topped 350,000 tons, an increase of 37 percent.

Lake Carriers’ Association





Last remaining active boat of the Bradley fleet being repowered

1/20 - Alpena, Mich. – Ship workers are preparing a freighter with strong Rogers City ties for a repowering project.

At Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., workers are removing hazardous materials from the John G. Munson to prepare for replacing its massive steam turbines with a diesel engine, Keylakes Vice President of Engineering Mitch Koslow said. Along with a new drivetrain and propeller, they'll also install four generators and two auxiliary boilers to provide electricity and steam needed to keep the boat powered and heated.

While Koslow declined to give an estimated cost for the project, he said the reasons behind it are two-fold.

"A diesel engine is much more fuel-efficient than a steam turbine is, and secondly, it's environmental reasons," he said. "They're much cleaner-burning. We're being somewhat driven regulations-wise toward more fuel efficiency and being more environmentally sensitive."

Once back in service, the Munson's expected to burn 1 million fewer gallons of fuel overall, a 37 percent reduction, Koslow said. The Munson should emit 11,000 fewer tons of carbon dioxide and 164 fewer tons of sulfur dioxide per year as well.

The Munson also is an ideal candidate for a repowering project because out of the nine self-unloading bulk carriers Keylakes manages, the Munson is the largest of the smaller vessels, Koslow said. It carries nearly 26,000 tons of cargo and its self-unloading system uses a forward boom, meaning its pivot point is closest to the pilot house as opposed to the boat's aft end.

Of the 768-foot Munson's fleetmates, the 1,004-foot Edgar B. Speer is the largest and holds the most cargo, while the Great Republic is the shortest at 634 feet and holds the fleet's second-smallest volume of cargo. That's according to information from Canadian National, which owns the Great Lakes fleet through a U.S. subsidiary.

Design work for the repowering began in February 2015, Koslow said. The plan is to have the Munson in dry dock by mid-March, when ship builders will install its new engine, gears, controllable-pitch propeller and other drivetrain components over the next month.

Ship workers will upgrade the Munson's engine controls, electrical distribution and other auxiliary systems over the rest of 2016, Koslow said. The goal is to have the Munson ready for sea trials by the start of the 2017 shipping season.

"We expect most of the work to be completed by year's end, and then next winter we'll use that time for our start-up on the commissioning of new systems and our testing," he said.

Structurally, the Munson is sound, and for the last five years its owners have invested into maintaining and investing in the steel that supports its cargo, Koslow said. That work will continue on the Munson and its fleetmates into the future, giving it a new lease on life.

The freighter was completed in 1952 for Bradley Transportation and is named after John Gephart Munson, according to George Wharton's Boatnerd.com vessel narrative. Munson was a former president of Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company in Rogers City and Bradley Transportation, before serving as a U.S. Steel vice president from 1939-51.

When Canadian National's subsidiary bought the Munson and seven of its fleetmates in 2004, it was the last member of the Great Lakes Fleet, formerly owned by U.S. Steel, that had sailed for Bradley Transportation, according to historian Gerald Micketti. It's the last member of the Bradley fleet still sailing under its original name; the George A. Sloan is now the Canadian-flagged Mississagi and part of Lower Lakes Towing's fleet.

As the freighter's twin steam turbines, Foster-Wheeler boilers and 600-kilowatt General Electric steam generators aged, they became more obsolete, Koslow said.

"The time comes to when you can't support them any longer," he said. "That comes into some of these decisions, when maintenance and supportability become so expensive that you have to take into account for safe and reliable and efficient operations."

Alpena News


1/20 - Beauharnois, Que. – The City of Beauharnois is worried a rusting cargo ship in Lake St. Louis is at imminent risk of leaking millions of litres of contaminated water that could end up in the St. Lawrence River.

The Kathryn Spirit was abandoned near the town on Montreal's South Shore, directly south of Île-Perrot, more than four years ago. The derelict ship contains water contaminated by crude oil in its ballast.

Beauharnois recently learned the Mexican company that owned the 150-metre-long ship has renounced ownership after going bankrupt.

As a result, all pumping operations to keep the boat upright have stopped.

Beauharnois Mayor Claude Haineault says rain and snow are accumulating in the hold of the ship, and with the pumping operations stopped, he's worried the ship might begin to list and eventually capsize.

"I think it will be a very big environmental disaster very soon," Haineault said.

Haineault said Montreal would be most at risk if the contaminated water ended up in the St. Lawrence River.

The Kathryn Spirit is anchored in an environmental protection zone in Lake Saint Louis, the reservoir that supplies drinking water to Montreal.

Haineault said it's just a matter of weeks before the situation becomes critical.

The Beauharnois mayor said he's been asking provincial and federal governments to remove the cargo ship for years.

That call for help that was supported by LaSalle last summer when the borough unanimously voted to pass a resolution backing up the City of Beauharnois.

The notes from that council meeting reveal that the city had been warning provincial and federal governments of the ship's "environmental risks to aquatic fauna" since 2011.

The notes also show that Transport Canada maritime officials, while investigating a spill in Lake St. Louis in 2013, mentioned the degree to which the cargo ship was tilted was "precarious and very worrying."

Beauharnois has now asked both governments to step in and help safely dispose of the Kathryn Spirit.

"After four years, we are very frustrated," Haineault said, "I wish that somebody somewhere thought this was an important issue."

Transport Canada says the Kathryn Spirit is now under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Coast Guard. Calls to the Coast Guard have not been returned.

CBC





Coast Guard announces channel closures, ice breaking

1/20 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The Coast Guard will close the waters between Cheboygan Mich., and Bois Blanc Island known as South Channel, at 9 a.m. on Jan. 22. Grays Reef Passage will also be closed at the same time.

On Thursday Coast Guard crews will commence ice breaking operations in the waters of Green Bay. These operations will likely occur in some areas used by recreational users such as but not limited to the Fox River and southern Green Bay & Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal.

USCG





Ship watchers will get a summer treat from Tall Ships

1/20 - Port Huron, Mich. – Frank Frisk says a tall ship is a "ship magnet."

"There’s something about tall ships that makes them very special for people to chase after," said Port Huron's "Freighter Frank."

People will have plenty to chase after along the St. Clair River this summer. Although none of the 20 or so sailing ships that might participate in the Tall Ships Challenge Great Lakes 2016 has any of the Blue Water Area ports on its itinerary, ships will have to pass through on their way to and from events in ports such as Bay City and Chicago.

"We actually have ships that are going to be passing by there twice, once on their way to Bay City (and other ports) in July and once on their way out of the Great Lakes in September," said Erin Short, Tall Ships Challenge manager for Tall Ships America in Newport, Rhode Island.

People will start seeing the tall ships cruising the St. Clair River about two to three days before an event July 15-17 in Bay City, she said.

Ship watchers will be able to track the tall ships, Shoret said, at this link.

Besides stopping at Bay City, the tall ships will be at Toronto July 1-3; Fairport, Ohio, July 8-10; the Navy Pier in Chicago July 27-31; Green Bay, Wisconsin, Aug. 5-7; Duluth, Minnesota, Sept. 17-18; Erie, Pennsylvania, Sept. 8-11; and Brockville, Ontario, Sept. 16-18.

"We're going to have one race in each of the Great Lakes," Short said.

Short said the Chicago event probably will draw about 2 million people to the city.

"The purpose of the Tall Ships Challenge is to help promote tall ships and their programming," she said. "It's also another way to bring tourism and tourism money into those towns."

Bay City has been host to the tall ships five times, she said.

Short said the U.S. brig Niagara, a veteran of the War of 1812, likely will be participating. The Niagara often docks in Algonac during its summer tours.

"These ships are maintaining our maritime heritage," she said. "Without these ships, that heritage would be lost."

The ships participating in the challenge probably won't be listed on the Tall Ship America website until May, Short said.

Times Herald


20 January 1980 - The E. M. FORD (406 foot, 4,498 gross tons, built in 1898, at Lorain, Ohio as a bulk freighter, converted to self-unloading bulk cement carrier in 1956, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin) was raised at her dock in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She sank on Christmas Eve of 1979, when gale force winds forced her from her moorings and repeatedly slammed her bow into the dock facing. Crews had to remove a solid three feet of hardened cement and patch her holed bow before she could be re-floated.

NORDIC BLOSSOM was launched January 20, 1981 as the a.) NORDIC SUN.

On January 20, 1917, American Ship Building's Lorain yard launched the steel bulk freighter EUGENE W. PARGNY for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.

January 20, 1911 - The ANN ARBOR NO 5 made her first trip into Kewaunee. On 20 January 1923, CHOCTAW (steel propeller packet, 75 foot, 53 gross tons, built in 1911, at Collingwood) burned at her dock at Port Stanley, Ontario.

On 20 January 1978, HARRY L. ALLEN (formerly JOHN B. COWLE, built in 1910) burned at her winter lay-up berth at Capital 4 grain elevator dock in Duluth. She was declared a total loss.

1907: WILLIAM NOTTINGHAM broke loose in wild winds and flooding at Buffalo. When the storm subsided, the ship had come to rest high and dry about 440 yards from the channel. A total of 12 vessels stranded in the storm but this one was the biggest challenge. A new channel had to be dug to refloat the vessel.

1960: LAKE KYTTLE, under tow as b) JAMES SHERIDAN, foundered in a storm on Long Island Sound. The ship had been built at Manitowoc in 1918 and converted to a barge at River Rouge in 1927 before returning to the sea about 1945.

1962: The Liberty ship FIDES was a Seaway visitor in 1961. It went aground at Grosser Vogelsand, in the Elbe Estuary and broke in two as a total loss.

1975: The tug CATHY McALLISTER sank alongside the dock at Montreal after suffering some grounding damage on the St. Lawrence. The vessel was salvaged on February 13, 1975. It was scrapped at Port Weller as d) DOC MORIN in the fall of 2011.

1979: ZAMOSC first came to the Great Lakes in 1971. It was enroute from Montreal to Antwerp when in a collision with the JINEI MARU off Terneuzen, Holland. The damaged ship was beached but it heeled over in the sand and had to be broken up.

1981: The former SILVER FIR, a Seaway caller in 1977, ran aground and became a total off Libya as d) GALAXY II.

1983: The YDRA sustained an engine room fire and went aground about a mile east of Bizerta, Tunisia, as a total loss. All on board were saved and the hull is still there. The ship first came to the Great Lakes as a) MANCHESTER PORT in 1966 and was back as b) BIOKOVO in 1972.

1990: IMPERIAL ACADIA received major damage at the island of Miquelon due to a storm and had to be transported to Halifax aboard the semi-submersible MIGHT SERVANT for repairs. The vessel arrived at Chittagong, Bangladesh, for scrapping as e) RALPH TUCKER on October 26, 2004.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Kathryn Spirit: Political leaders call on government to remove abandoned ship

1/21 - Beauharnois, Que. – The mayor of Montreal is calling for a meeting with the federal government about the abandoned cargo ship rusting away in Lake St. Louis. Kathryn Spirit, abandoned four years ago near the town of Beauharnois, is suspected of having toxic materials in its ballast that could leak at any moment.

In a written statement, mayor Denis Coderre said "pollution from rust residues and oil from the wreck could contaminate the drinking water reservoir that is Lake St. Louis."

On Tuesday, Daniel Messier, spokesman for the Quebec environment ministry, said there are no contaminants in "significant quantities" in the ship's hold. The Canadian Coast Guard has a similar position.

"The majority of accessible pollutants were removed in 2013. In its current state, this vessel is not discharging any polluting substances," spokeswoman Carole Saindon said.

If any toxic material does leak, the Coast Guard will "respond immediately in order to contain and remove the pollutants," she added.

This was little comfort for elected leaders who have been asking for this ship's removal for years.

"There could still be liquid contaminants in contact with materials in the ship," New Democratic MP Anne Minh-Thu Quach told CBC's As It Happens. "If the ship leans on its side, like it has in the past, it could cause dirty water to leak."

Quach said she sent several letters to federal environment and transportation ministers in the former Conservative government and received no response. She is still waiting for an answer from the new Liberal government, she said.

Beauharnois Mayor Claude Haineault also said he's been asking provincial and federal government agencies to remove the Kathryn Spirit for years. The Mexican company that owned the ship renounced it after going bankrupt. As a result, all maintenance operations to keep the boat upright have stopped.

Quach said the federal government can seize the boat if it poses a risk to the environment and public health.

CBC



On 21 January 1895, CHICORA (wooden propeller passenger/package freight vessel, 199 foot, 1,123 gross tons, built in 1892, at Detroit, Michigan) was bound from Milwaukee for St. Joseph on a mid-winter run when he foundered with little trace. All 25 on board were lost. The ship's dog was found wandering on the beach by St. Joseph, Michigan, a few days later. A well-organized search for the wreck continued until mid-June. Many small pieces of wreckage were washed ashore in the spring.

On January 21, 1978, the Multifood Elevator #4 at Duluth, Minnesota, caught fire and collapsed onto the deck of the steamer HARRY L. ALLEN, which was laid up beneath the elevator. Her pilothouse was destroyed by fire. Severe warping and cracking of her plating occurred when cold water was poured onto her red-hot deck. Declared a constructive total loss, she was scrapped at Duluth in 1978.

1904: HENDRICK S. HOLDEN was torn loose by flooding on the Black River at Lorain, Ohio, and the vessel smashed a coal dump. It also crushed and sank the tug GULL on its way into Lake Erie. The bulk carrier last sailed as VANDOC (i) in 1965.

1921: G.J. BOYCE had been sold off-lakes in 1916. It was inbound for a Cuban port when it lost its rudder. The wooden schooner stranded near Porto Padre and broke up as a total loss.

1928: The Lake Michigan rail car ferry MADISON struck a sand bar off Grand Haven and went aground with close to $50,000 in damage. High winds and ice were a factor.

1959: High winds at Buffalo tore the MacGILVRAY SHIRAS loose when a heavy current swept the Buffalo River. The wayward vessel struck MICHAEL K. TEWSBURY and MERTON E. FARR and eventually demolished the Michigan Ave. Bridge. The damaged SHIRAS was not repaired and arrived in Hamilton in June 1959 for scrapping.

1978: VESLEFJELL was sailing as e) MARLEN when abandoned by the crew after developing leaks in heavy seas near the Canary Islands. The vessel was enroute to Nigeria with cement when it went down. It had been a Great Lakes trader beginning in 1951 and last called inland in 1962.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Michigan governor stresses need for second Poe-sized lock

1/22 - Cleveland, Ohio – A second Poe-sized Lock is critical to the future of Michigan and the United States declared Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (R) in his State of the State address on Jan.19, and he pledged to work with Congress to build it.

Gov. Snyder noted that 4,000 commercial vessels transit the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, each year, but most of the tonnage goes through the Poe Lock because it can accommodate the largest and most efficient vessels. “The Poe Lock is absolutely critical to our future.”

“What would happen if that one lock went down?” the Governor continued. “It would devastate Michigan’s economy. To be blunt, it could devastate the national economy.”

A second Poe-sized lock was authorized by Congress first in 1986, and then again in 2007, but funds for the $590 million project have not been appropriated. “This is something we need to work with Congress on and getting done.”

The Soo Locks connect Lake Superior to the lower four Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Iron ore for the steel industry is the primary cargo moving through the locks. Gov. Snyder stressed the country would “run out of steel” if the Poe Lock failed.

Other cargos moving through the Poe Lock include western coal and limestone.

Although authorized by Congress, construction of the lock has been stalled by a flawed benefit/cost (b/c) analysis. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has recently agreed to re-evaluate the project. Industry is calling on the Corps to fast track the analysis. A Department of Homeland Security report on the Poe Lock forecasts dire consequences should mechanical or structural issues close the lock for a lengthy period of time.

Lake Carriers’ Association





Carferry Badger gains long-sought National Historic Landmark designation

1/22 - Ludington, Mich. – The SS Badger has achieved long-sought-after National Historic Landmark status.

The National Historic Landmark Program, operated as part of the National Park Service in the U.S. Department of Interior, made the announcement on its Facebook page Thursday afternoon. “Congratulations to our newest #NationalHistoricLandmark the S.S. Badger: Lake Michigan Carferry in Ludington, MI, which was designated yesterday! Badger is the last example of a Great Lakes rail/car ferry design, a type that influenced design around the world. The first open-water crossing on which railcars were carried onboard occurred on Lake Michigan, the rail/car ferry design of which influenced other such ships. Badger is the last vessel in operation powered by Skinner Unaflow steeple compound engines and the last Great Lakes car ferry to remain in operation.”

Michigan 2nd District Congressman Bill Huizenga’s staff notified the Daily News of the posting. His office has been involved in trying to help navigate what sometimes proved to be political waters to gain the status.

Huizenga, R-Zeeland released the following statement in response to the National Park Service recognizing the S.S. Badger as a National Historic Landmark:

"The S.S. Badger is a vital and historic piece of the Ludington community. Nearly five years after Lake Michigan Carferry’s initial application, the federal government has finally recognized the Badger for what it is — a National Historic Landmark. This designation highlights not only the economic importance of the vessel to Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin but also the vessel's historical significance to the entire Great Lakes Region.

"This is an important victory for the hardworking families, small businesses, and communities that have relied on this Great Lakes car ferry for generations, and I am pleased it will continue to be part of their future."

When the Badger was first recommended for the status in 2011, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., within hours had filed a letter opposing the nomination citing what was then a coal ash discharge the Badger historically had been allowed.

In the ensuing years, Lake Michigan Carferry entered into a U.S. Department of Justice approved consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop the discharge before sailing in 2015.

LMC accomplished that by adding a coal ash retention system on board the Badger which was used successfully in 2015.

Ludington Daily News





Canadian Coast Guard expecting quieter winter

1/22 - Sarnia, Ont. – It's all calm on the eastern front, so far, for Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers on the Great Lakes.

There were no reports this week of ice issues on the lakes or the St. Clair River. That's a change from January 2015 when coast guard ships were busy working to free freighters trapped in ice jamming the river connecting Lake Huron and Lake Erie.

“It's pretty quiet,” Capt. Stephane Julien, superintendent of ice breaking for the Canadian Coast Guard Central and Arctic Region, said Thursday from the regional headquarters in Montreal. “And, it's like this all across Eastern Canada, even in the St. Lawrence River,” he said.

Ice is beginning to form in bays and shallow water around the lakes, “but nothing that requires assistance like it did last year at this time,” Julien said. “It's a totally different season than what we had the last two years.”

The Canadian Coast Guard has two icebreakers, CCGS Samuel Risley and CCGS Griffon, stationed on the lakes to help keep ships moving through the winter.

Often, icebreakers are put to work in the problematic area of the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and Detroit River, Julian said. “It's very narrow, lots of current,” he said.

Normally, an ice bridge that forms at the southern end of Lake Huron stops ice from moving into the St. Clair River. But if it breaks because of a storm, fast-moving ships or other reasons, “all hell breaks loose,” Julien said.

Ice from the lake will then move into the river, “and this is were it piles up and creates jams and pressure,” he said. “That little ice bridge at the tip of Lake Huron is very, very important for us, so we keep an eye on it.”

A remote camera allows Coast Guard officials to monitor the area of the water where the ice bridge forms. “It's a delicate point in the entire business of the ice in the St. Clair River,” Julien said.

Currently, new ice is forming there but it is very thin and there is no ice bridge yet, he said.

But, he noted they watched as a freighter travelled through the area Thursday morning and could see it was moving slowly. “Already, they're slowing down,” Julien said.

Ships moving full speed through the area can interfere with the forming of the ice bridge. “All mariners are aware of that situation, so everybody's careful,” Julien said. “For them, time is money so they benefit from an ice bridge that stays there.”

Jacques Collin, an Environment Canada Ice Service specialist and ice adviser to the coast guard, said colder temperatures in the early winter last season paved the way for ice to form when temperatures plunged in January and February.

“This year is different,” Collin said.

Temperatures in December and early January were above normal in the region and water temperatures remain “quite warm,” he said.

“There's almost no ice formation, that's the big difference from the last years.” Normally, at this time of year, there's 15 to 16 per cent ice coverage on the lakes. “Actually, we're at 12 to 13 per cent,” Collin said. “We're below normal.”

At this point in the season in both 2014 and 2015, ice coverage had reached 40 to 45 per cent on the Great Lakes, he said. For the entire season in 2015, coverage reached 97, he said. Lake Superior completely froze over in 2014 and 2015, for the first winters since 1982, Julien said

Most of the open water on the lakes is currently ice-free and is expected to remain that way, for at least the next week, Collin said.

The long-range outlook is for a warmer winter and less ice on the lakes, Julien said.

theobserver.ca





Toledo port works to increase business in 2016

1/22 - Toledo, Ohio – Millions of tons of cargo moves through the Port of Toledo every year, but overall numbers were down double digits in 2015. A lot of the drop is tied to one industry. Port leaders say plans to diversify the products moving through here even further, should help drive business back up this year.

Thousands of jobs and about a billion dollars worth of annual economic impact are tied to the port. The numbers were down about 30 percent last year but there are already signs that business will be back on track this year.

Shipping is big business in Toledo. Joe Cappel is the Vice President of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. He said 7,000 local jobs depend on the port.

“Freighters bring millions of tons of cargo to docks along Lake Erie and the Maumee River. Grain is one of the biggest commodities that the port moves in and out of Toledo, but the product line-up goes far beyond agriculture. In addition to coal and iron ore, which are bulk materials, we are also handling large components that are too big and heavy to move by road or rail. We also ship petroleum products and cement for the construction industry in and out of the port," Cappel said.

In a good year, hundreds of freighters move 10 to 12 million tons of cargo in and out of Toledo. This year, that number was down to 8.25 million tons. Cappel explained that the decrease is mainly due to overcapacity in the steel industry.

“The Chinese economy is down so they have a surplus of steel they are sending to the United States at very low prices. Those prices are very difficult for our domestic producers to compete with," he said.

While iron ore and coal shipments were down it was a solid year for grain. Cappel said it was also a record-setting year for another material, "We hit a new record for aluminum shipments. 130,000 tons of aluminum came through the London Metal Exchange at the Toledo docks."

Something else that a lot of people use also comes through the Port of Toledo. "One of the nations largest flour mills is here, so we bring in wheat from Canada and it's milled into flour here. It is then used at bakeries throughout North America."

Even though shipping on the lakes is limited in winter months, Cappel points out that the port is still busy, "We have two dry docks and this is really their busy time of year. Ships come in for inspections and repairs during the winter, when they are not out trading on the great lakes so the port is active year-round."

Back to the overcapacity in the steel industry, Cappel says there have been complaints and punitive tariffs filed and when those kick in, it should help the American steel industry rebound.

When it comes to the drop in business in Toledo, Cappel says it was not a problem unique to the region. He says the decrease is in line with other ports around the Great Lakes.

13abc Action News


The c.) WOODLAND, a.) FRENCH RIVER) was sold to International Capital Equipment of Canada and cleared the lakes from Montreal January 22, 1991, under the Bahamian flag with the modified name to d.) WOODLANDS.

GOLDEN HIND was sold on January 22, 1973, to Trico Enterprises Ltd., Hamilton, Bermuda (Quebec & Ontario Transportation Co. Ltd., Thorold, Ontario, mgr.).

January 22, 1913 - SAINTE MARIE (Hull#127) was launched at Toledo, Ohio, by Craig Shipbuilding Co.

1976: INGRID WEIDE first came to the Great Lakes in 1953, and the West German freighter returned on many occasions including 23 trips through the Seaway to the end of 1965. The vessel stranded as c) DENEB B. off Borkum Island, West Germany, while inbound for Emden with a cargo of stone. The hull broke in two and sank but all on board were rescued.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Edward L. Ryerson a testament to MSC greatness

1/25 - The Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company has a rich history of building remarkable ships that have served the Great Lakes since the early 20th century.

The S.S. Edward L. Ryerson of the Inland Steel Fleet is another strong testament to the impact Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company had on the Great Lakes’ shipping industry. Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company laid the keel for the Ryerson on April 20, 1959. The Ryerson was hull No. 425 for the company. On Jan. 21, 1960, the vessel was launched at the snow-covered and icy shipyard.

It was christened Edward L. Ryerson for the owners of the Inland Steel Company of Chicago. The Herald Times covered the launching and described it as follows: “The hull of the ship rode majestically down the launching way as the ropes were cut. It hit the water with a resounding roar and the ice jammed river swelled into a mountainous wave, grinding ice cakes together with the sound of breaking glass.”

According to a Manitowoc Herald Times article on July 16, 1960, the cost of the ship was estimated at $8 million. The article also stated “Special surveys were needed and some dredging done in the Manitowoc River to enable the Ryerson to negotiate the hairpin curves and bridges before it reaches Lake Michigan.” The ship was able to make it out into Lake Michigan in August for its sea trials.

An advertising pamphlet for the S.S. Edward L. Ryerson in the Manitowoc County Historical Society archives provided specific details about the ship. At the time it was built, the Ryerson was declared the largest vessel that navigation regulations would allow on the Great Lakes, boasting a length of 730 feet. The ship’s steam turbine engines could generate 9,000 horsepower and could drive the streamlined hull, when fully loaded, at almost 17 miles per hour.

Its cargo capacity neared 27,000 gross tons, and in any given season, it could carry more than 1 million tons of iron ore on long runs between the head of Lake Superior and its home port of Indiana Harbor, Indiana. As a result of her majestic design, she was titled “Queen of the Lakes.”

After many successful seasons, the Ryerson began a long-term lay-up in 1998. During this time, she was docked in Sturgeon Bay and was open for several public tours. It was not until 2006 that an increased demand for ore justified putting the Ryerson back in service.

Why does the history of the Ryerson matter to those who live in Manitowoc County? The ship stands as a testament to the greatness the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company achieved. The Queen of the Lakes broke records for Great Lakes shipping and is the only straight-deck bulk carrier in the U.S. not converted to a self-unloader.

The Ryerson is another contribution to Manitowoc County’s rich maritime history.

HTR News



$30K grant to explore shipping corn from West Michigan port

1/25 - Muskegon, Mich. – The Corn Marketing Program of Michigan has committed $30,000 for Muskegon County to study how the Port of Muskegon might help as a shipping point for corn farmers.

Corn is Michigan's top grown crop commodity by quantity. Muskegon has the largest natural deep-water port in West Michigan, and leaders are hoping to expand the amount of shipping traffic through the Port.

The grant was awarded following a January meeting of the Corn Marketing Program in Lansing.

Muskegon County Grants Coordinator Connie Maxim-Sparrow said she tried to convince farmers the Port of Muskegon could be used for shipping grains through the Great Lakes, as an alternative to Detroit.

"They said, 'Oh, good,'" Maxim-Sparrow said. "They were pretty excited with the potential." She added the feasibility study could also explore locating a corn processing site at the county's wastewater treatment site.

Corn Marketing Program of Michigan's Research Coordinator Natalie Rector explained the group's interest.

"In agriculture we realize transportation is very important," Rector said. "We need to get both inputs in and our products out. We're interested in (the port) helping our corn products in the state."

The farmers are also looking to import fertilizer, components for animal feed, and machinery. Other Michigan products might benefit from an improved shipping route, but corn is a good place to start the study, Rector said.

"A lot of our corn or bi-products may need to go nationally or internationally," Rector said.

Civic and business leaders in Muskegon County are working to raise the Port of Muskegon's profile in the shipping industry.

A startup shipping company, called ECO Ships, proposes to start shipping containers on the Great Lakes, with Muskegon being one of its major stops. Officials have said shipping operations could start in short order, as early as 2016.

Long term, planning around the Port of Muskegon is centered around future uses of the B.C. Cobb energy plant and its surrounding property owned by Consumers Energy. The plant received its last shipment of coal in early November and is set to cease operations by April.

M Live

In 1994 THALASSA DESGAGNES (steel propeller tanker, 131.43 meters, 5,746 gross tons, built in 1976, in Norway, as the a.) JOASLA, renamed b.) ORINOCO in 1979, c.) RIO ORINOCO in 1982) entered service for Groupe Desgagnes.

The keel for CLIFFS VICTORY, a). NOTRE DAME VICTORY (Hull#1229) was laid on January 26, 1945, at Portland, Oregon, by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.

THOMAS F. COLE (Hull #27) was launched January 26, 1907, by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse, Michigan, for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.

J. F. SCHOELLKOPF JR. was launched January 26, 1907, as a.) HUGH KENNEDY (Hull#349) at Lorain, Ohio, by the American Ship Building Co.

ST. LAWRENCE NAVIGATOR was launched in 1967, as a.) DEMETERTON (Hull#619) at South Shields, United Kingdom, by John Readhead & Sons, Ltd.

On 26 January 1898, the CITY OF DULUTH (wooden passenger/package freight vessel, 202 foot, 1,310 gross tons, built in 1874, at Marine City, Michigan, as a passenger vessel) was carrying passengers, corn, flour and general merchandise from Chicago to St. Joseph, Michigan, during a late season run when she struck an uncharted bar in a storm inbound to St. Joseph. She was heavily damaged and driven ashore 350 feet west of the north pier where she broke up. The Lifesaving Service rescued all 24 passengers and 17 crew members using breeches' buoy.

1986: The saltwater ship f) MARIKA L. was sold at auction to Scrap Hellas Ltd. on this date The vessel had arrived at Eleusis, Greece, under tow, on April 25, 1981, after an engine room fire on the Mediterranean. The ship had been arrested and partially sunk prior to being sold. It made one trip through the Seaway as a) DONATELLA PARODI in 1965 and was ultimately resold for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey.

Breaking the ice: Aboard a Coast Guard cutter

1/24 - Green Bay, Wis. – The coast is now clear for ships heading through the Bay of Green Bay, thanks to a U.S. Coast Guard cutter.

The cutter Mobile Bay was hard at work breaking through some really thick ice last Thursday. There wasn’t as much as there was the last two winters — those were record breakers — but it’s still early in the season.

And there was still plenty of ice to break through — roughly 38 miles of ice between Sturgeon Bay to Green Bay, meeting the tug Michigan in the Fox River and guiding it back north.

Lieutenant Commander Cary Godwin says this operation wasn’t expected to be the longest. It began early Thursday morning in Sturgeon Bay before even the sun rose. Crews hurried to get the Mobile Bay read to meet a ship stuck in the ice near Green Bay.

“Most Coast Guard ships around the country stay as far away from ice as possible. This is an exciting job. You get to run into stuff on purpose,” LCDR Godwin said.

The ice crunched loudly as the Mobile Bay forced its way through, powered by two diesel engines putting out 2,500 horsepower. Vibrations are felt through the entire ship. Engineers say the Mobile Bay was built as a beast.

“The way the ship’s designed with the beam to link, the ratio and horsepower, it’s mostly power,” Chief Warrant Officer Greg Tarker said.

This is Lt. Andy Daum’s first few months as part of the crew. He says it takes a lot of power to keep this ship crushing ice and clearing a path for others.

“It’s amazing power at your fingertips. It’s like driving a plow truck, only the plow truck is almost 700 tons with 2,500 shaft horsepower. It’s a pretty cool feeling.”

That power and the wakes that can break the ice well beyond the ship’s course make it risky for people who insist on being on the ice during ice-breaking operations, like two people we passed who appeared to be ice fishing in Sturgeon Bay.

“A lot of people recreate on the ice — snowmobiling, ATVs, ice fishing, playing pond hockey, everything to it — but something to always remember is, no ice is safe ice,” Daum said.

The Coast Guard ship plays a huge rule in keeping local businesses running, clearing a path to get ships in and out. Last year the ice breaking fleet allowed over $800 million worth of materials to get to their destinations in the Great Lakes.

Some ice breaking operations can take about eight or nine hours, others can take days on end, but you better believe no matter the job or when they’re needed the Coast Guard says they are ready.

“You know, there’s not much that will stop the ships. They’re not the largest ice breakers in the Coast Guard fleet or even on the lakes, but to me they’re the most capable because they’re just the perfect size to do what we do,” Godwin said.

WBAY

GODDAMN politics everywhere!! ws
Badger landmark announcement made in error

1/23 - Ludington, Mich. – The SS Badger apparently has not achieved its long-sought-after National Historic Landmark status.

The National Historic Landmarks Program, operated as part of the National Park Service in the U.S. Department of Interior, made the announcement Thursday afternoon on its Facebook page, but Friday removed the posting.

National Park Service spokesman Jeremy Barnum told The Associated Press the landmark program mistakenly published inaccurate information on an official social media page on Thursday. The ferry has not received the historic designation, but the application is under review.

Chris Powell, assistant director for communications for the National Parks Service, told the Daily News shortly after noon Friday that they were removing the Facebook post, which she said might have been put up too soon. She said they do not yet have confirmation the designation has been signed.

Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior, ultimately signs all such designations.

The snowstorm bearing down on Washington, D.C., is making it difficult to get through to anybody, she said. Final word might not be received until next week, she told the Daily News.

Congressman Bill Huizenga and his staff long have been involved in trying to help navigate what sometimes proved to be political waters to gain the status. The staff expressed dismay early this afternoon that the posting had been taken down.

"I have reached out to Secretary Jewell to get clarification on the status of the SS Badger," Huizenga stated Friday afternoon. "I plan to stress the importance of a timely resolution to this multi-year review.

"The Badger remains a vital and historic part of the Ludington community and has been utilized by both small businesses and local residents for generations.

"Every step of the way, the Badger has met the requirements the federal government has placed upon it and I will continue to fight for the Badger until it is properly recognized."

Brian Patrick, press secretary, said they were working to get an answer from Jewell because they believed the designation to be approved. He said the federal government shut down its offices in D.C. at noon. The first snow started falling after 1 p.m. Friday.

Ludington Daily News


$1.5M fundraising effort to save iconic Lake Michigan catwalk gaining momentum

1/23 - Grand Haven, Mich. – Grand Haven is set to take another step in its effort to save the city's iconic South Pier catwalk.

In an effort to generate the $1.5 million needed to raise and repair the historic structure, a catwalk restoration committee consisting of representatives from Grand Haven City Council, the Community Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Development Authority and the Michigan Small Business Development Center will host a fundraiser from 2-7 p.m. Jan. 30.

Representatives from community organizations, nonprofits, museums, libraries and private businesses also are a part of the coalition.

"Jumpstart the Catwalk" will be held at the Fraternal Order of Eagles newly-remodeled event center at 20 N. 2nd St. The event will include beer and wine tasting, food, live entertainment, silent auction, raffle, a magic show and more.

Mild winter, open water impacting Lake Huron

1/23 - Sarnia, Ont. – Winter’s late start has delayed ice formation on the Great Lakes, raising the potential for some extreme weather and other adverse impacts to come, Environment Canada say.

“There is the real possibility that strong lake effect snow and snow squall activity could continue later into the season,” said meteorologist Geoff Coulson. “The longer we have this long expanse of open water the longer the impact on weather.” Last week 6% percent of the Great Lakes were covered in ice, compared to 29% on the same date a year earlier. “This is the least amount of ice by this time in the winter since 2006-07,” Coulson said.

North winds sweeping over a largely ice-free Lake Huron could make the adage ‘in like a lamb, out like a lion’ a reality in southwestern Ontario, with heavy snow and whiteouts on Highway 402.

The region went from record cold temperatures in February to record highs in December, and that impacts atmospheric and weather patterns, Coulson said. “There has been a lot of variability in this region.”

Rob Caldwell, a water resources engineer with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the mild start to winter followed by a cold stretch could also increase evaporation on the Great Lakes.

And extreme fluctuations and warmer water increases the risk of algae blooms, which impact fish spawning habits. “These are very important issues,” Caldwell said.

The surface temperature in the center of Lake Huron is also significantly warmer: nearly 7 C. last week compared to 3 C. a year earlier, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.

Environmental Defence warns climate change is causing the Great Lakes, which hold 20% of the world’s available surface freshwater, to warm twice as fast as the global average, according to a study published in Geophysical Research Letters.

“Warmer weather has meant that the length of time that the lake is covered in ice every winter is shrinking. Less ice leads to further warming of surface waters. This change in temperature can disrupt ecosystems and pose challenges to the communities who rely on a healthy lake for their livelihoods, food, and drinking water,” Environmental Defence reported.

Warmer water is more hospitable to invasive species like Asian Carp and encourages their spread north. Warmer water, wind, and an excess of nutrients lead to algal blooms. In 2014, an algae bloom in Lake Erie prevented 400,000 people in Toledo, Ohio from drinking tap water for days.

Climate change alters precipitation patterns and leads to more frequent and intense storms that cause pollutants to wash into streams and lakes. Ontario is working with federal and international partners to address climate change impacts on the Great Lakes

Since 1995, average surface water temperatures have increased by a few degrees Fahrenheit in lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Ontario

Recent water temperature increases have been driven largely by warming in spring and summer months, and relate in part to an earlier thawing of winter ice.

Sarnia Journal

[yachtsmanwilly]

Interlake launches Phase II of emission-reduction technology

1/26 - Middleburg Heights, Ohio – The James R. Barker sailed into Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., last week where it will become Interlake Steamship Company’s first thousand footer and its second self-unloading bulk carrier to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers.

Interlake became the first U.S.-flag fleet to test scrubbers on the Great Lakes in April 2015 after pioneering the emission-reduction technology on its Hon. James L. Oberstar.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding handled the successful installation on the 806-foot Oberstar and was the clear front-runner to earn the second phase of installations on two additional vessels – the 1,004-foot Barker and the 826-foot Lee A. Tregurtha, which just arrived at the Wisconsin shipyard.

“We’re excited to extend this proven, innovative scrubber system to our 1,000-foot class ships and further reduce our fleet’s carbon footprint,” says Interlake President Mark W. Barker. “We have the utmost confidence in the expertise and technical abilities of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding to implement the technology and help propel us toward our long-term vision of being an environmental leader on the Great Lakes.”

During the multi-month project at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, both vessels will be equipped with the same single-inlet, closed-loop DuPont Marine Scrubbers from Belco Technologies Corp. (BELCO), a DuPont company, that were installed on the Oberstar.

“Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is pleased to have been selected to lead these scrubber installation projects,” says Todd Thayse, Vice President & General Manager of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. “Interlake’s commitment to leading environmental technology on the Great Lakes is once again demonstrated and we appreciate Interlake’s confidence in Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding to once again partner with us for this important project.”

The scrubber units, which are attached to the exhaust system of each of the ship’s two engines, effectively strip the majority of sulfur from its stack emissions. Here’s how the systems work: Exhaust gas from the engine is sent through a series of absorption sprays that “wash” and remove impurities, specifically sulfur and particulate matter. That washed exhaust gas then travels through a droplet separator before a clean plume of white steam is discharged into the atmosphere.

“The sulfur reductions we have been able to achieve in the first year of operation have exceeded our expectations,” says Barker, adding that the additional reductions of these emissions make an even stronger case for marine transportation – the most environmentally friendly way to deliver, in Interlake’s case, raw materials.

As the first U.S.-flag fleet to implement the scrubber technology, the Company was not only tasked with proving its emission-reduction capability but also taking the lead in developing a sustainable supply-and-delivery infrastructure to support its widespread use on the Great Lakes.

Specifically, the scrubber system relies on an injection of sodium hydroxide -- to neutralize and remove sulfur from the exhaust gas -- and that chemical has to be delivered to the vessel about twice a month.

Working with partners, Hawkins Inc., PVS Chemicals Inc., Garrow Oil & Propane and OSI Environmental, the Company has established waterfront supply capability at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., and Detroit, Mich. Calumet Specialties LLC has become a vital partner and stakeholder in the development of a new supply capability within the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis. A supply-and-delivery infrastructure is expected to be built out at ports located near East Chicago, Ill., and Burns Harbor, Ind.

After a successful round of sea trials, the Barker and Tregurtha are expected to resume their Great Lakes trade routes by late spring.

Interlake Steamship Co.





St. Lawrence Seaway moved 36 million tons of cargo in 2015

1/26 - Massena, N.Y. – The recently ended St. Lawrence Seaway navigation season saw 36 million tons of cargo transported along the waterway over 274 days.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp., Cornwall, Ont., said in a statement last Tuesday that grain shipments topped the cargo volume at 10.8 million tons shipped, a volume well above its five-year average.

The Port of Thunder Bay, Ont., the principal point of entry for grain into the Great Lakes-Seaway system, reported its second-best season in 15 years.

Betty S. Sutton, administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., said the shipping season, which concluded Dec. 31, “saw highs and lows in traditional cargoes” moving through the system.

“Global demand for coal remained below last year’s level, whereas general cargo to and from international and domestic markets remained high with over a 100 percent increase,” the release said. “Project cargo and dry bulk materials to support the construction and manufacturing industry also remained in the positive standings.”

The 2015 season opened April 2, about a week later than usual, reflecting the frigid conditions in early spring, according to the Seaway. The system closed with the passage of the vessel Mississagi through the Welland Canal Lock in Ontario. The last vessel to exit the Montreal/Lake Ontario section was the Baie St. Paul, leaving through St. Lambert Lock in Quebec. The Seaway noted that, with temperatures well above their 10-year average in December, the Seaway experienced a rare ice-free close to its season.

The Seaway Management Corp. also noted that it received the Promising Innovation in Transport Award given by the International Transport Forum at an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development summit held in Germany in May.

The award recognized the corporation’s pioneering work in developing, along with the supplier Cavotec, the world’s first Hands-Free Mooring system for ships transiting locks.

The use of the equipment will largely replace the traditional practice of manually securing ships in locks with steel mooring lines, enabling the Seaway to achieve gains in operating efficiency and safety and become more competitive.

With the shipping season ended, winter maintenance projects will be occurring at Snell and Eisenhower Locks in Massena.

Watertown Daily Times



In 1994 THALASSA DESGAGNES (steel propeller tanker, 131.43 meters, 5,746 gross tons, built in 1976, in Norway, as the a.) JOASLA, renamed b.) ORINOCO in 1979, c.) RIO ORINOCO in 1982) entered service for Groupe Desgagnes.

The keel for CLIFFS VICTORY, a). NOTRE DAME VICTORY (Hull#1229) was laid on January 26, 1945, at Portland, Oregon, by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.

THOMAS F. COLE (Hull #27) was launched January 26, 1907, by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse, Michigan, for the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.

J. F. SCHOELLKOPF JR. was launched January 26, 1907, as a.) HUGH KENNEDY (Hull#349) at Lorain, Ohio, by the American Ship Building Co.

ST. LAWRENCE NAVIGATOR was launched in 1967, as a.) DEMETERTON (Hull#619) at South Shields, United Kingdom, by John Readhead & Sons, Ltd.

On 26 January 1898, the CITY OF DULUTH (wooden passenger/package freight vessel, 202 foot, 1,310 gross tons, built in 1874, at Marine City, Michigan, as a passenger vessel) was carrying passengers, corn, flour and general merchandise from Chicago to St. Joseph, Michigan, during a late season run when she struck an uncharted bar in a storm inbound to St. Joseph. She was heavily damaged and driven ashore 350 feet west of the north pier where she broke up. The Lifesaving Service rescued all 24 passengers and 17 crew members using breeches' buoy.

1986: The saltwater ship f) MARIKA L. was sold at auction to Scrap Hellas Ltd. on this date The vessel had arrived at Eleusis, Greece, under tow, on April 25, 1981, after an engine room fire on the Mediterranean. The ship had been arrested and partially sunk prior to being sold. It made one trip through the Seaway as a) DONATELLA PARODI in 1965 and was ultimately resold for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey.