Today in Great Lakes History

[yachtsmanwilly]

3/27 - Massena, N.Y. – Cargo tonnage for the St. Lawrence Seaway’s 2017 navigation season ended with more than 38 million metric tons moved, an increase of 9 percent above the 2016 season, according to the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

A steady volume of iron ore, steel, grain, salt, cement, containerized goods, and project cargo including windmill components and large machinery kept Seaway vessels extremely busy throughout the year, the SLSDC said in a press release.

One of the largest increases noted in cargo tonnage was the movement of iron ore. Both Canadian and U.S. lakers moved 29 percent more iron ore than the prior navigation season. About 84 inbound iron ore shiploads moved from the Labrador region of Canada to the U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes steel production sites. Another 132 outbound iron ore shipments departed from the iron ore mines in Minnesota and moved to transshipment ports along the lower St. Lawrence River for transfer to ocean-going ships bound for Asia. Such a high level of iron ore activity on the Seaway had not been seen since 2013, the SLSDC said.

It is estimated that foreign flag vessels importing cargoes into the Great Lakes Seaway System arrived from 38 different countries while exports leaving the system were delivered to 29 countries. This simple fact signifies that the Great Lakes Seaway System continues to be a viable and competitive international gateway for global trade

North Country Now


The steamer b.) EDWARD S. KENDRICK was launched March 27, 1907, as a.) H.P. McINTOSH (Hull#622) at West Bay City, Michigan, by West Bay City Ship Building Co. for the Gilchrist Transportation Co., Cleveland, Ohio.
Nipigon Transport Ltd. (Carryore Ltd., mgr., Montreal, Quebec) operations came to an end when the fleet was sold on March 27, 1986, to Algoma Central's Marine Division at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

On 27 March 1841, BURLINGTON (wooden sidewheeler, 150 tons, built in 1837, at Oakville, Ontario) was destroyed by fire at Toronto, Ontario. Her hull was later recovered and the 98-foot, 3-mast schooner SCOTLAND was built on it in 1847, at Toronto.

On 27 March 1875, the steamer FLORA was launched at Wolf & Davidson's yard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her dimensions were 275-foot keel x 27 foot x 11 foot.

On 27 March 1871, the small wooden schooner EMMA was taken out in rough weather by the commercial fishermen Charles Ott, Peter Broderick, Jacob Kisinger and John Meicher to begin the fishing season. The vessel capsized at about 2:00 p.m., 10 miles southwest of St. Joseph, Michigan and all four men drowned.

C E REDFERN (wooden schooner, 181 foot, 680 gross tons) was launched at West Bay City, Michigan by F. W. Wheeler (Hull #65) on 27 March 1890. Dimensions: 190' x 35' x 14.2'; 680 g.t.; 646 n.t. Converted to a motorship in 1926. Foundered on September 19, 1937, four miles off Point Betsie Light, Lake Michigan. The loss was covered in an unsourced news clipping from Sept. 1937: Freighter Wrecked Eleven Are Saved. Ship Founders in Lake Michigan. Sault Ste. Marie, Sept. 20 - (Special) - Eleven members of the crew of the 181-foot wooden-hulled freighter C. E. Redfern, which foundered in Lake Michigan on Saturday night four miles northwest of Point Betsie Lighthouse, were rescued by coastguard cutter Escanaba. The men were landed safely at Frankfort, Michigan, and it is reported that considerable wreckage of the cargo of logs, decking and deckhouse of the ill-fated vessel were strewn about and floating towards shore.

1916: The steel bulk carrier EMPRESS OF MIDLAND came to the Great Lakes for the Midland Navigation Co. in 1907 and left in 1915 when requisitioned for war service in 1915. The vessel hit a mine laid by UC-1 nine miles south of the Kentish Knock Light on this date in 1916. The ship developed a starboard list and 18 took to the lifeboat. Five more sailors jumped into the English Channel and were picked up by the lifeboat. The vessel, en route from Newcastle, UK to Rouen, France, with a cargo of coal, subsequently sank.

1964: The Victory ship MORMACPINE came through the Seaway on 13 occasions between 1960-1967. Fire broke out in the cargo hold on this date in 1964 while en route to Bermuda and U.S.C.G. HALF MOON escorted the vessel to safety. The ship resumed trading until arriving at the scrapyard in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on July 18, 1970.

1965: The Norwegian tanker NORA began Great Lakes visits in 1960. It caught fire and burned in the English Channel after a collision with the large tanker OTTO N. MILLER 10 miles south of Beachy Head in dense fog at 0737 hours on March 27, 1965. The vessel was a total loss and arrived at Santander, Spain, under tow for scrapping in June 1965.

1979: FEDERAL PALM was built by Port Weller Dry Docks in 1961 and left the Great Lakes for Caribbean and later South Pacific service. The passenger and freight carrier was sailing as b) CENPAC ROUNDER when it was blown aground by Typhoon Meli on Vothalailai Reef in the late night hours of March 27, 1979. The hull was refloated on April 27 but was beyond economical repair and arrived at Busan, South Korea, for scrapping in June 1979. The image of this Great Lakes built ship has appeared on postage stamps issued for both Grenada and Tulavu.

[yachtsmanwilly]

3/28 - Green Bay, Wis. – Coast Guard ice cutters are expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon to free the steamer Alpena after it got stuck in ice off Door County’s northern coast while traveling from Alpena, Michigan, to Green Bay.

It’s not the first time the Alpena has had to be rescued from ice. The self-unloading cement carrier also had to be extricated from ice in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

On Dec. 11, 2015, while at Bay Shipbuilding for winter repairs, a fire broke out in the electrical control room for the aft winches. The fire was extinguished, but not until it caused $4 million in damages. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the fire was caused by faulty wiring providing power to the aft anchor winch.

The Alpena was built in 1942 as an iron ore carrier for the U.S. Steel fleet. It was first named Leon Fraser. It is the last operating vessel of five identical ships built during World War II to haul iron ore. She is one of the oldest boats working the Great Lakes.

Door County Pulse


3/28 - Three ships have been chosen to mark the opening of the 60th season of the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system 2018.

The first ship of the season to enter the Seaway on opening day Thursday will be the McKeil Spirit, upbound out of the St. Lambert Lock. This is the former Ardita, recently converted to carry cement and part of the McKeil Marine fleet. Algoma Niagara will be the first upbound vessel in St. Catharines Lock 3. The ceremony at the museum begins at 10 a.m.

The first down bound for Port Colborne starting at 8:30 a.m. will be Algoma Enterprise. A pancake breakfast and Top Hat ceremony will get the 2018 shipping season underway at Lock 8 Gateway Park, 163 Mellanby Ave. The ceremony begins at 8 a.m. with Port Colborne's Fair Trade Committee providing the pancake breakfast and students from McKay Elementary School entertaining those who attend. Mayor John Maloney, along with representatives from upper levels of government and the marine industry, will speak in the pavilion starting at 8:30 a.m. and present a top hat to the captain of the first vessel through Lock 8.

Brenda Benoit, ShipSpotting Canada Center and the St. Catharines Standard




3/28 - Jeffersonville, Ind. – American inland river shipyard Jeffboat will be shutting its doors after more than 180 years in the ship and barge building industry.

Located on the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, Indiana (across the Ohio River from Louisville, Ky.), Jeffboat is the nation’s largest and longest continually operated inland shipyard, but its business has been hit by a decline in orders over the last several years which has already forced the company to slash its workforce by more than 80 percent.

Jeffboat’s closure was confirmed over the weekend by the Teamsters Local 89 workers union, which was told of the news on Friday. “It is with heavy hearts that we confirm reports that Jeffboat, the nation’s largest inland shipbuilder and one of Local 89’s oldest companies, is shutting down,” the union said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Over the last several years, the shipbuilding industry has seen a massive decline and while this cycle has occurred in decades past, this time it was unfortunately too much for the company to bear.”

The historic Ohio River shipyard was founded 1834 as Howard Shipyard, building riverboats during the height of the steamboat era. With the United States’ entry into World War II, the shipyard won contracts from the U.S. Navy, which allowed its workforce to explode from around 200 before the war to a peak of 13,000. After the war, Jeffboat took over operations and turned its focus to inland barges and towboats for the commercial market. Today, Jeffboat specializes in the design and construction of inland barges, towboats and ocean-going vessels at the 80-acre Jeffersonville, Ind., shipyard.

Jeffboat is owned by American Commercial Lines and is the manufacturing division of American Commercial Barge Line, a leading provider of inland barge transportation services. ACBL confirmed Jeffboat’s closure in a statement reported by the Associated Press in which the company cited an oversupply of barges that has caused orders to drop significantly over the past three years.

The company said over the past several years, Jeffboat’s workforce has shrunk from about 1,300 employees to 220 currently. The shipyard is expected to complete all construction work by the end of April.

Primarily a builder of barges, tank barges and towboats, Jeffboat is currently listed as the builder of over 6,600 vessels currently registered in the U.S. Great Lakes fleets with Jeffboat barges include Andrie Inc (tank barge Endeavour), Ashton Marine (2 new-build hopper barges delivered in late 2017), Durocher Dock and Dredge, Marine Tech and the Milwaukee Bulk Terminals. Jeffboat-built barges and towboats operate daily in the rivers near Chicago.

The website Shipbuildinghistory.com notes that the shipyard was shuttered from 1985 to 1989, so hopefully this isn't the final end to a longstanding shipbuilding company.

Link to a video history of the yard: gCAPTAIN and Tom Hynes


N. M. Paterson & Sons, PRINDOC (Hull#657) of Davie Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., Lauzon, Quebec, was sold off-lakes during the week of March 29, 1982, to the Southern Steamship Co., Georgetown, Cayman Islands and was renamed b.) HANKEY. Later renamed c.) CLARET III in 1990, d.) S SARANTA in 1992, e.) PLATANA IN 1997, Scrapped at Alaiga, Turkey in 1997.
On 29 March 1888, D. D. JOHNSON (wooden propeller tug, 45 foot, 17 gross tons) was launched at E. Saginaw, Michigan. She was built for Carkin, Stickney & Cram and lasted until 1909.

1973: MANCHESTER TRADER, the second ship of this name to visit the Great Lakes, was owned by the Prince Line when it first came inland, on charter to Manchester Liners Ltd., in 1964. The ship was renamed e) WESTERN PRINCE in 1969 and also transited the Seaway that year. It became f) MARINER in 1971 and was abandoned in the Pacific on this date in 1973. The ship was leaking in heavy weather en route from Havana, Cuba, to Kobe, Japan, and was presumed to have sunk about 35.00 N / 152.47 E.

1973: DAVID MARQUESS OF MILFORD HAVEN, one of the longest named saltwater ships to visit the Great Lakes, was the first saltwater ship of the season upbound in the Seaway.

1990: The MAYA FARBER visited the Great Lakes in 1981. It arrived at Alang, India, under tow for scrapping on this date following an explosion and fire off Port Sudan as d) RAAD AL-BAKRY VIII on January 15, 1990.

[yachtsmanwilly]

3/29 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – Capt. Wilson Walters has been sailing the Great Lakes for nearly 40 years, and not once has his ship been first to Thunder Bay in a given season. That changed on Tuesday night when, with the assistance of local tug-boat crews, he guided CSL Welland, one of the largest grain ships on the Great Lakes into port.

“I never gave it much thought,” Walters said on Wednesday morning, after receiving the ceremonial top hat from Port of Thunder Bay board member Charla Robinson.

“It was just into Thunder Bay and then they said, ‘Oh, you’re going to get a top hat. You’re the first boat this year.’ I’ve been second a few times, but I’ve never been first. The company’s pretty proud to have one of our boats here representing (them).”

Getting to Thunder Bay wasn’t easy. After wintering in Port Colborne, Ont., south of the Welland Canal, the ship took five days to reach Thunder Bay, two more than usual, thanks to heavy ice conditions on the Great Lakes.

It was a bit of a harrowing trip, Walters said, though not as bad as 2014. Crews were doubled up and they had two navigators on the bridge, when under normal conditions they’d have just one. They also had someone stationed on the bow as a spotter, just in case.

“Navigating in ice, what we do is we try to slow the vessel down and go into the ice on a slow impact. If you go in at high speed, which is about 13 knots, you’re going to do damage,” Walters said.

The ship took a more northerly route to escape the worst of the ice, though they rediscovered thick ice as they sailed into Thunder Bay’s harbour and took things slow and steady to dock at the G3 elevator.

Walters said the record-setting CSL Welland, which in August 2016 took on the largest single shipment of grain in port history, loading up with 31,064 tonnes of grain. Wednesday’s shipment is headed for Quebec.

Port of Thunder Bay president Tim Heney said the opening of the Great Lakes is a little later than typical, but it’s exciting to get the shipping season going again.

“It’s always a positive time of year for us. Spring is here for sure,” Heney said, adding it’s unusual for a ship to arrive before the Welland Canal opens for the season. “We’re looking forward to good things and it’s always a time of optimism in the spring.”

Heney said all signs are pointing to another good year for the port. “It’s hard to say, but there’s a lot more carry over this year than usual. It was a rough winter in the prairies and they had a lot of trouble getting grain across the Rockies to Vancouver, so there’s more left over this year than usual, which bodes well. The prices are starting to come up a bit, so the farmers are going to want to start shipping it.”

Heney said once the canal opens he expects to see a flood of ships arriving in port, likely in the next week or so. The first salt-water vessel will take slightly longer to arrive.

Thunder Bay Newswatch


3/29 - Ottawa, Ont. – The Canadian Coast Guard has been given new powers to call on industry for short-term help in clearing ice-choked seaways — even as plans for replacing the agency’s aging icebreaker fleet over the long term remain in flux. The new powers were outlined Tuesday as officials marked the start of the spring icebreaking season in the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes, through which much of Canada’s foreign trade flows.

The coast guard will be able to enlist pre-approved companies for help as needed without having to go through a formal bidding process, resulting in quicker and more reliable service for those in need, officials say.

The measure is intended as a last resort when the coast guard doesn’t have enough icebreakers to respond, such as when one of its vessels has a mechanical breakdown.

Yet there are fears such a scenario will become increasingly common in the coming years as the coast guard’s icebreaking fleet continues to get older — with no replacements on the horizon.

Officials stood by their aging vessels, noting the federal government has invested millions of dollars in the past few years to maintain and extend the lives of many of the coast guard’s aging icebreakers.

“We have a very strong plan in place with scheduled and planned maintenance, refit and vessel life extensions to support the fleet renewal plan as we are moving forward with our assets,” said assistant commissioner Julie Gascon. “Our vessels are very capable and very reliable.”

But the icebreakers, which are on average over 35 years old, have seen their share of problems in recent years — including one high-profile breakdown in January that left a ferry stuck in ice near Quebec City for four hours.

Concerns about the state of the fleet were also flagged in briefing notes to Fisheries Minister Dominic Leblanc back in 2016, where officials reported that 1,595 operational days had been lost due to breakdowns in 2013-14 alone.

The federal government’s national shipbuilding strategy includes a new heavy icebreaker, but that vessel won’t be ready until at least the mid-2020s, while work continues on plans for replacing the rest of the fleet.

“We’ve started consultations with industry and gone a long way already in analyzing what’s available out there for different technologies that would benefit us for the long term,” said Greg Lick, the coast guard’s director-general for operations.

“The fleet-renewal plan is making good progress now in terms of its development. We don’t have a specific timeline right now to share about when it will be completed. But we’re well on our way toward doing that.”

While Lick wouldn’t dive into details, industry sources say the coast guard is undertaking a complete reassessment of exactly what types of ships it will need over the coming decades — a process that has already been going on for several years.

Questions include what to do with 10 vessels, some of whom can serve as medium and light icebreakers, that are supposed to be built by Vancouver-based Seaspan Shipbuilding after the heavy icebreaker is finished.

Those vessels were originally announced by the Harper government in 2013, at an estimated cost of $3.3 billion, and aren’t slated for construction until the mid- to late-2020s.

In the meantime, the Trudeau government has been talking with Quebec shipyard Davie for the past two months about leasing several converted icebreakers to the coast guard as an interim option until full replacements are ready.

The two sides have yet to come to an agreement, however, in part because of a disagreement over whether one of the four icebreakers that Davie is offering can actually meet the coast guard’s needs.

Toronto City News

[yachtsmanwilly]

3/30 - St. Catharines, Ont. – The 60th season for the St. Lawrence Seaway opened on Thursday with the transit of the Algoma Niagara upbound into the system on its way to Toledo, Ohio, for a load of metallurgical coal. A ceremony in St. Catharines, Ont., marked the opening of the bi-national Canada-U.S. waterway.

“The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System is a key maritime corridor,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao in a U.S. Department of Transportation news release. “We look forward to another successful year of moving commerce through this dependable and safe maritime transportation system.”

The seaway connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean by way of the St. Lawrence River. The Soo Locks that connect Lake Superior with the lower Great Lakes opened last weekend to mark the start of the shipping season. The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway means oceangoing “salties” from overseas will be mingling with U.S. and Canadian lakers for the rest of the year and into 2019.

Cargo tonnage through the St. Lawrence Seaway was up 8 percent a year ago. Bruce Burrows, president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, called it a major turnaround in a chamber news release Thursday.

“We have great potential to build on the recent economic momentum of Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway shipping,” Burrows said. “We expect 2018 to be another strong year in shipping. U.S. Great Lakes ports have made significant investments in infrastructure and services that are attracting new business to their respective regions and facilitating American cross-border and international trade.”

Duluth News Tribune


3/30 - Port Colborne, Ont. - Port Colborne was without its first vessel for its canal opening top hat ceremony Thursday morning at Lock 8 Gateway Park. Mayor John Maloney said it's tradition for the city to welcome the Welland Canal's first down-bound vessel, meaning a vessel headed toward Montreal. The tradition started for the city in the 1970s.

Algoma Central Corp's ship the Algoma Enterprise was supposed to be coming through the canal for the ceremony, where the captain would have been given a top hat for the occasion. The ship, however, was held up in Ohio as it waited for a shipment, which delayed it from making it to Port Colborne on time.

There was some excitement as the Capt. Henry Jackman came through, another Algoma Central Corp. vessel. As this wasn't the scheduled ship, however, its captain didn't receive the top hat. Maloney did share some information about the ship, though, such as that it will be retiring after this year.

Still, the ceremony went on as planned, with a fair-trade breakfast to start the day, followed by a warm comedic welcome from the town crier, a blessing and the singing of O Canada.

Maloney said the occasion is an opportunity to continue to celebrate the city's marine heritage. Niagara Regional Chair Alan Caslin said the first canal was opened in 1829, making this the 189th canal opening.

Cassie Kelly, engineering manager for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp., said the seaway is looking forward to a good year. The seaway, which Kelly said is in its 60th season, has seen about a nine per cent increase in traffic over the last year and an 18 per cent increase in traffic for the Welland Canal. She said for this season, the seaway is hoping for 40 million tonnes of cargo to go through

St. Catharines Standard


3/30 - Algoma Innovator (IMO 9773375), the first 650-foot-long Equinox-class self-unloading bulk carrier built at the 3 Maj shipyard in Croatia for Algoma Central Corp., arrived in Montreal early on Thursday morning. This is the ship’s maiden voyage and first trip to Canada. While the vessel has a foreign crew and is registered in Tuvalu, this is expected to change soon when the ship is re-flagged Canadian with a Canadian crew.

After departure from the shipyard, the Algoma Niagara stopped in Itea, Greece, where it loaded a cargo of bauxite for the Great Lakes. The ship made a brief stop in Gibraltar before departing for Canada and the Great Lakes. Her cargo will be unloaded at Indiana Harbor.

Another vessel, Algoma Endurance (IMO 9773387), is currently under construction at the 3 Maj shipyard. This vessel is a sister ship to the Algoma Innovator and is expected to enter service sometime in 2018 for the Algoma Central Corp.


The tanker CHEMICAL MAR arrived at Brownsville, Texas on March 30, 1983, in tow of the tug FORT LIBERTE to be scrapped. Built in 1966, as a.) BIRK. In 1979, she was renamed b.) COASTAL TRANSPORT by Hall Corp. of Canada, but never came to the lakes. She was sold by Hall and was renamed c.) CHEMICAL MAR in 1981.
March 30, 1985 - CITY OF MIDLAND's departure was delayed when her anchor snagged one that she had lost in Pere Marquette Lake the previous summer.

March 30, 1900, the carferry ANN ARBOR NO 2, grounded on the rocks east of the approach to the channel at Manistique, Michigan. She was pulled off quickly by the ANN ARBOR NO 3 and the tug GIFFORD. She was found to have bent a propeller shaft and broken rudder, resulting in a trip to the drydock at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1917: GERMANIC was the last wooden passenger ship built in Collingwood. It was completed there in 1899 and burned there, at the dock, on this date in 1917. The ship was part of Canada Steamship Lines at the time of loss. The hull settled on the bottom but was raised, towed towards Wasaga Beach, and run aground. The remains were torn apart for firewood during the Depression.

1940: The first THORDOC, a) J.A. McKEE, stranded at Winging Point, 10 miles southwest of Louisbourg, N.S., due to heavy fog. The ship was abandoned on April 1 and declared a total loss. This member of the Paterson fleet had been travelling in ballast and had been involved in Great Lakes trading since 1908.

[yachtsmanwilly]

On 31 March 1971, the American Steamship Company's RICHARD J. REISS grounded at Stoneport, Michigan, while moving away from the dock. She damaged her number nine tank.
Christening ceremonies took place at St. Catharines, Ontario, on March 31, 1979, for d.) CANADIAN PROSPECTOR, lengthened by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd.

ROGER M. KYES (Hull#200) was launched March 31, 1973, at Toledo, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. Renamed b.) ADAM E. CORNELIUS in 1989.

WILLIAM R. ROESCH was renamed b) DAVID Z. NORTON in christening ceremonies at Cleveland, Ohio, on March 31, 1995. The PAUL THAYER was also renamed, EARL W. OGLEBAY, during the same ceremonies.

JOSEPH S. WOOD was sold to the Ford Motor Co. and towed from her winter lay-up berth at Ashtabula, Ohio, on March 31, 1966, to the American Ship Building's Toledo, Ohio, yard for her five-year inspection. A 900 h.p. bowthruster was installed at this time. She would be rechristened as c.) JOHN DYKSTRA two months later.

The steamer b.) J. CLARE MILLER was launched March 31, 1906, as a.) HARVEY D. GOULDER (Hull#342) at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co., for W.A. & A.H. Hawgood of Cleveland, Ohio.

On March 31, 1927, the WILLIAM MC LAUGHLAN entered service for the Interlake Steamship Co. when she departed Sandusky, Ohio for Superior, Wisconsin, on her maiden trip. Later renamed b.) SAMUEL MATHER in 1966, sold Canadian in 1975, renamed c.) JOAN M. MC CULLOUGH, and finally d.) BIRCHGLEN in 1982. Scrapped at Point Edward, Nova Scotia, by Universal Metal Co. Ltd.

On 31 March 1874, E. H. MILLER (wooden propeller tug, 62 foot, 30 gross tons) was launched at Chesley A. Wheeler's yard in E. Saginaw, Michigan. The power plant from the 1865, tug JENNIE BELL was installed in her. She was renamed RALPH in 1883, and spent most of her career as a harbor tug in the Alpena area. She was abandoned in 1920.

1974: The nine-year old Liberian freighter CAPE PALMAS first came through the Seaway in 1969 after it had been purchased from Swedish interests. The vessel was at Bilbao, Spain, undergoing repairs, on March 31, 1974, when a blaze broke out aft and caused extensive damage. This was repaired and the ship resumed trading. It was converted to the cement carrier c) ASANO in 1978 and served until arriving at Shanghai, China, for scrapping on September 10, 1993.

1999: VARADERO was the first new ship of the 1991 season to use the Seaway. It was bound for Toronto with a cargo of sugar. This bulk carrier was sailing as e) MANPOK, and under North Korean registry, when it sank on this date in 1999 following a collision with HYUNDAI DUKE some 500 miles off Colombo, Sri Lanka, while inbound from Jakarta, Indonesia, with a cargo of cement. Two crew members were rescued while another 37 were posted as missing.

2011: BBC STEINHOEFT got stuck in the Seaway on this date in 2011. The Liberian registered freighter had just been renamed at Toronto, having entered the lakes as BELUGA FUSION. It lost power near the St. Lambert Lock and ended up sideways and blocking the channel until she was refloated and realigned.

On 01 April 1887, W. T. Botsford & Company of Port Huron, Michigan bought the COLORADO (wooden propeller package freighter, 254 foot, 1,470 gross tons, built in 1867, at Buffalo, New York). She was added to their two other vessels: DEAN RICHMOND and ROANOKE.
STEWART J. CORT was commissioned on April 1, 1972.

In April 1965, Interlake's steamer J. A. CAMPBELL was renamed c.) BUCKEYE MONITOR after being purchased by the Buckeye Steamship Co.

Realizing that the bulk trades were too competitive, Captain John Roen's Roen Transportation Co. sold the CAPTAIN JOHN ROEN to the American Steamship Co. (Boland & Cornelius, mgr.) on April 1, 1947, for $915,000.

ROY A. JODREY started her first full season opening navigation at the Soo Locks April 1, 1966, with a load of stone for Algoma Steel.

Dismantling of the G. A. TOMLINSON, a.) D. O. MILLS, began in Ashtabula, Ohio, on April 1, 1980, and was completed eight months later.

April 1, 1903 - Gus Kitzinger of the Pere Marquette Line steamers, acquired the PERE MARQUETTE 3 & 4 from the Pere Marquette Railway Co.

Sailors at Chicago went on strike on 1 April 1871, for an increase in pay. They were getting $1.50 a day. Some ship owners offered $1.75 but when word came that the Straits of Mackinac were clear of ice, the sailors demanded the unheard of daily wage of $3.25. Although some ships stayed in port, the $1.75 wage was accepted and the barks MARY PEREW, J G MASTEN and C J WELLS, along with the schooners DONALDSON, PATHFINDER and CHAMPION set sail on 1 April 1871

On 1 April 1904, CONDOR (2-mast wooden schooner, 58 foot, 22 gross tons, built in 1871, at Sheboygan, Wisconsin), while lying at anchor in the Kalamazoo River at Singapore, Michigan, was crushed by ice moving out in the spring breakup.

1941: ROBERT W. POMEROY had served the Eastern Steamship Co. as well as Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co. while on the Great Lakes from 1923 to 1940. It went overseas and worked for the British Ministry of War Transport hauling coal on coastal routes. While north bound on April 1, 1942, the ship hit a mine and, four minutes later, a second mine and went down in the North Sea off Norfolk, U.K. Twenty-two survived although two were injured when the boiler exploded.

1942: The Norwegian salty GUDVANG came to the Great Lakes in 1939. It was intercepted by a German patrol boat between Denmark and Norway, while trying to escape to England, on this date in 1942. The ship was sunk by gunfire and the crew became prisoners of war.

1968: GHISLAIN was more at home on the St. Lawrence, but had delivered pulpwood to the Great Lakes in the late 1960s. It had several escapades during these years including a grounding while entering Yarmouth, NS with 1400 tons of herring on this date in 1968. The vessel was repaired at Liverpool, NS. It was listed as g) ANIK in 1974 and in need of repairs. While it was not deleted from LR until 1986, the ship was likely broken up in the mid-1970s.

1983: REGENT MARIGOLD visited the Great Lakes in 1975 under Panamanian registry. It was sailing as d) LEXINGTON when the hull fractured in a storm while en route from Bukpyong, South Korea, to Bangladesh. It went down on this date about 200 miles northwest of Penang, Malaysia.

A total of 60 ore boats departed Cleveland between March 31 and April 2 to start the 1948 shipping season.
On 02 April 1900, the JOHN MINER (wooden 3-mast schooner, 134 foot, 273 gross tons, built in 1866, at Detroit, Michigan as a bark) was purchased by S. R. Chamberlain from Frank Higgie for $800. She only lasted until 19 October 1902, when she was lost in a storm on Lake Huron.

On April 2, 1951, CLIFFS VICTORY was towed, bound for New Orleans, Louisiana, with her deck houses, stack, propeller, rudder and above deck fittings stored on or below her spar deck for bridge clearance. She was outfitted with two 120-foot pontoons, which were built at the Baltimore yard, that were attached to her hull at the stern to reduce her draft to eight feet for passage in the shallow sections of the river/canal system.

LEON FALK JR. was launched April 2, 1945, as a.) WINTER HILL, a T2-SE-Al, World War II, a single-screw fuel tanker for U.S. Maritime Commission.

CLIFFORD F. HOOD was launched April 2, 1902, as the straight deck bulk freighter a.) BRANSFORD for the Bransford Transit Co., (W. A. Hawgood, mgr.).

SENATOR OF CANADA sailed under her own power on April 2, 1985, to Toronto, Ontario, where she was put into ordinary next to her fleet mate the QUEDOC. She was scrapped in Venezuela in 1986.

WHEAT KING was lengthened by an addition of a 172 foot 6 inch mid-section (Hull #61) and received a 1,000 h.p. bowthruster. This work reportedly cost $3.8 million Canadian and was completed on April 2, 1976.

On April 2, 1953, the straight deck bulk freighter J. L. MAUTHE (Hull#298) of the Great Lakes Engineering Works entered service for Interlake Steamship Co. She operates currently for Interlake as the self-unloading barge PATHFINDER.

April 2, 1975 - The State of Michigan filed a Federal Court suit to stop the Grand Trunk Railway from selling the GRAND RAPIDS. It was felt that selling the ferry would build a stronger case for abandonment of the entire ferry service.

On 2 April 1874, A. H. HUNTER (wooden propeller tug, 58 foot, 28 gross tons) was launched at Saginaw, Michigan. She was built for Donnelly & Clark of Saginaw by Wheeler. The engine was built by Bartlett & Co. of Saginaw. Her boiler and some other equipment were from the almost new tug KATY REID that burned at Salzburg, Michigan in October 1873.

1976: WHEAT KING was refloated at Port Weller Dry Docks. It had arrived on December 12, 1975, and was lengthened to 730 feet over the winter. The ship would only sail six years with the new dimensions and was retired at the end of the 1981 season.

4/2 - A third Canadian Coast Guard ship has been added to the fleet of Canadian and U.S. icebreakers already working to open the Great Lakes as the 2018 shipping season gets underway with the opening of the Welland Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway Thursday.

During a briefing on icebreaking operations Tuesday, Julie Gascon, the coast guard's assistant commissioner for the Central and Arctic Region, said the medium-class icebreaker CCGS Pierre Radisson made its way through the St. Lawrence Seaway's Montreal-Lake Ontario section and docked in Toronto. On Sunday she was nearing the Soo Locks.

The Pierre Radisson, she and Stacy Dufour, Central and Arctic Region superintendent of icebreaking said, would head to Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior to assist vessels through a heavy ice pack. It would join the CCGS Samuel Risley and U.S. Coast Guard's Mackinaw, both already in the area.

"We are working all over the Great Lakes," said Dufour, adding icebreakers would also head to Thunder Bay. "The Martha L. Black will move into the Montreal-Lake Ontario section and into Lake Saint-Louis to assist shipping there."

With the Pierre Radisson's move into the upper Great Lakes, it brings to 11 the total number of icebreakers working on both sides of the border. The Radisson had been working heavy ice on the upper St. Lawrence River before being moved.

Gascon said the move was part of a plan undertaken by both the Canadian Coast Guard's Central and Arctic Region and United-States Coast Guard, District 9, which covers the Great Lakes. The plan also took into account the opening of the Seaway system.

Greg Lick, the Canadian Coast Guard's director general of operations, said if there are severe ice conditions on the Great Lakes, the agency can surge more icebreakers in from other areas, including the Atlantic region.

Both Martha L. Black and Pierre Radisson were moved into the lakes in 2014 and 2015 due to severe ice conditions. The Coast Guard also has a new arrangement which allows it to hire additional assets for short-term needs and periods to assist with icebreaking. It could be used if one of the aging icebreakers were to break down as well.

Welland Tribune


4/2 - Neebish Island, Mich. – Neebish Island residents have had no ferry service since Friday afternoon due to an extreme ice jam at the Neebish Island ferry crossing just north of Rock Cut on the St. Marys River. The Coast Guard has been doing their best to get the two-inch thick ice moving again.

Recent warm weather has dislodged the ice from the upstream shorelines and it has bottlenecked at the ferry crossing. Downbound freighter traffic the next day or two hopefully will get the ice moving once and for all. For service updates, go to www.eupta.net.

USCG


4/2 - Montreal, Que. – An American warship stuck in Montreal since Christmas Eve has finally resumed its trip to its homeport in Florida. Port of Montreal spokesperson Mélanie Nadeau said the ship left around 6:15 a.m. Saturday.

The USS Little Rock was commissioned in Buffalo on Dec. 16 but was trapped by ice at the Port of Montreal less than two weeks into its maiden voyage. A spokeswoman for the Navy said officials decided to wait until weather conditions improved before allowing the ship to continue its journey to Mayport, Fla., out of concern for the safety of the ship and crew.

Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson confirmed the ship finally left the city early on Saturday after spending more than three months in Montreal. It is expected to arrive in Florida early next month after making several port visits along the way.

In a statement, the Navy thanked the city for the hospitality it showed the stranded crew. "We greatly appreciate the support and hospitality of the city of Montreal, the Montreal Port Authority and the Canadian Coast Guard," said the USS Little Rock Commanding Officer Cmdr. Todd Peters.

The warship was equipped with temporary heaters and 16 de-icers designed to reduce ice accumulation on the hull, and the crew was provided with cold-weather clothing in light of the change to their winter plans.

The ship's departure may be a relief to some nearby condo dwellers, who complained over the winter about the constant rumble emanating from the vessel's generators. In response, the lights illuminating the ship were dimmed and adjustments were made in February to a soundproofing, acoustic barrier wall surrounding the generators, the Port of Montreal said at the time.

CBC






4/1 - In an unusual turn of events, the much-loved steamer Arthur M. Anderson and the museum ship Valley Camp will swap roles in 2018, with the Anderson becoming a tourist attraction at the Soo and the Valley Camp running ore from Two Harbors to Quebec. The Valley Camp is being used due to her Seaway-friendly size.

The move was praised by government officials who said her antiquated propulsion system is a perfect example of bringing back coal-fired technology. “What was good enough for Calvin Coolidge is good enough for us,” said Energy Secretary Livin N.D. Passt.

The 1917-built vessel will receive modern upgrades including AIS and satellite communications, however technicians are still trying to get the boat’s TV sets to show something other than “Happy Days.”


4/1 - The Outer Lakes fleet has scrubbed the idea of self-driving boats because no one in the company office can remember the password needed to start the engines.

“We tried 1234," but to no avail," said Chief Engineer/Programmer "Scotty" McScottyFace. "Someone suggested trying the name of my cat, but I only have a pet snake named Slytherin and that didn't work either.”

There is an upside to the dilemma, however. With no one on board, the engine department can't blame the deck department for the fiasco, and vice versa.

4/1 - In a dramatic reversal of policy, the Department of Homeland Security has abandoned fencing off docks and locks in favor of fencing off the boats themselves. Installation of invisible but lethal force fields that will keep ships safe begins immediately on the oats carrier Wilford F. Brimley, with other vessels to follow suit soon.

In this way, unauthorized persons will be kept off the ships and the crews, known for wandering away to places like drugstores, malls and barber shops, will be secured safe on board. It will also keep pesky marine photographers away. When asked about cost, a DHS spokesman said “Don’t worry – Boatnerds will pay for it.”

Photographers who insist on taking close-up pictures from small boats have received a special warned to keep at least one foot between themselves and the bows of passing vessels at all times in order to prevent instant electrification, said force field fabricator Frank N. Fuerter.

Photographers don’t seem to mind the idea of the force fields, however they are fuming at the one-foot rule. “Typical government overreach,” said prolific Duluth boat stalker Len S. Crafter. “Next thing you know they’ll want me out at four feet, and that’s just plain dangerous! Everyone knows it’s much safer the closer you get.”


4/1 - The popular East Pier drive-in burger dive near the Soo Locks will open a float-through delivery operation later this year to serve passing vessels, much to the delight of Great Lakes sailors tired of more traditional, but ultimately boring fare such as Saturday Steak Night and all-you-can-eat Jumbo Shrimp on their boats.

Car hops, or in this case, boat hops, will wear bright orange PFDs for safety when taking orders. Taking a cue from the Detroit mail boat J.W. Westcott II, money will be placed in a so-called “Burger Bucket” and lowered over the side, with the burgers going aboard by return hoist.

A competing restauranteur, Clyde “Big” Seaburger, expressed his disgust at the idea. “Those spoiled sailors are always wanting to have it their way, he snorted from behind a cloud of hot grease. “When it comes down to it, special orders for the boats don’t upset us, unless you ask us to cut the cheese.”

[Avenger]

Cute.

[yachtsmanwilly]

4/3 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The Neebish Island Ferry ceased scheduled operations on Friday morning due to significant ice buildup in the West Neebish Channel of the St. Marys River, also known as the Rock Cut. Last week’s wind events fractured most of the shore ice above the ferry crossing and sent it cascading down river. With the lower river still packed with ice, there is no place for this newly broken ice to go. Coast Guard ice breaking assets remain focused on clearing the ice but the forecast of sub-freezing temperatures and additional snow do not favor a quick resolution.

Capt. Marko Broz, Commander of Sector Sault Ste. Marie met with Pete Paramski, Director of EUPTA, to discuss the emergent needs of Neebish Island residents. Contingency plans addressed the use of local law enforcement assets, the dispatch of a Coast Guard helicopter, use of a privately owned airboat, and the deployment of a Coast Guard air boat team to manage exigent community service requests that may arise during the suspension of ferry service.

USCG


4/3 - Toledo, Ohio – High atop the John J. Boland, a 680-foot-long lake freighter, there’s a fevered rush to finish the off-season repairs and get the ship back to the open lakes where it can start making money.

“It’s hell week,” said Daniel Hutchison, the assistant vice president of engineering for the American Steamship Co., which owns the Boland. “That’s what we call getting the boats out — hell week.” It’s March 21, and within days the John J. Boland will be loaded with coal at the Port of Toledo and set course for the heavily industrialized Zug Island just south of Detroit.

For the last three months, the Boland has been tied up in Toledo, where H Hansen Industries has been overseeing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of work, ranging from hanging new steel inside its cargo hold to adding 12 feet to its already massive unloading boom.

“You get a different size up here, don’t you,” asks Scott Shealy, the vice president of business development for Hansen, as we stroll across the deck.

The freighters look big when they’re coasting down the Maumee River. They are absolutely enormous up close. Shealy, who gave up a career in software development to come back to Toledo and slowly take over the Hansen business from his father-in-law, is giving us a tour of a part of industrial Toledo few people know about — let alone have the opportunity to see.

Founded in 1922 by Norwegian immigrant Hans Hansen, Toledo-based H Hansen Industries has grown into the largest maintenance provider on the Great Lakes. This year, 18 freighters cruised into Toledo for work ranging from shoring up bulkheads to engine overhauls. The firm, based on Summit Street, has freighters stowed at slips all the way up the Maumee River to the mouth of Lake Erie.

Like the ships themselves, the size of the work can be mind-boggling. Hanson will remove main propulsion gears weighing upwards of 30,000 pounds. One ship received a new rubber conveyor belt weighing 58,000 pounds. Frequently, welders will cut holes into the sides of the ship just so work crews can get large parts out, serviced, and back in.

Even as the repair season winds down, there are still dozens of Carhartt-wearing laborers toiling away both onshore and on the ships. Workers at large cutting tables precisely trim thick sheets of steel that will soon be hoisted up and welded into place. Officials say they will hang more than 1 million pounds of new, American-made steel by the end of the season.

Read more and view photos at this link: www.toledoblade.com/NewsSlide/2018/04/02/H-Hansen-Industries-handles-behemoth-sized-repair-jobs.html


4/3 - Toledo, Ohio – Cleveland Cliffs announced Monday it will be holding a groundbreaking event on April 5 to celebrate the construction of its first hot-briquetted iron (HBI) production plant.

The company is investing $700 million to build one of the world’s most modern and efficient iron making plants, generating a total of 130 new jobs in Toledo, Ohio. At peak construction, 1,200 people will be working on the site.

The Toledo plant will produce 1.6 million metric tons per year of customized high-quality HBI, and will make Cleveland-Cliffs the sole producer of high-quality customized feedstock for the domestic electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers located in the Great Lakes region.

Cliffs’ domestically produced HBI will supply a Great Lakes market currently estimated at 3 million metric tons, which is currently supplied exclusively by imports of commercial quality pig iron and HBI from countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Brazil and Venezuela, among others. Start-up of the plant is expected to happen in the summer of 2020.

“Today we are launching a new era for the iron and steel industry in the United States,” said Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “As Cleveland-Cliffs begins the construction of the first hot-briquetted iron (HBI) production plant in the Great Lakes region, we are taking the initial steps to enable EAF steelmakers to produce the specs associated with high margin steels for sophisticated end markets, such as automotive and others.

“For several decades, Cleveland-Cliffs has been supplying the American steelmakers in the Great Lakes with customized pellets to feed their blast furnaces,” Goncalves added. “With the growth in participation of EAFs, it was just a matter of time for Cliffs to become a supplier of these important steelmakers. Our HBI will be for the EAFs the same great feedstock our taconite pellets are, and will continue to be, for our blast furnace clients.”

“We’re excited that Cleveland-Cliffs is expanding their presence in Ohio by building the very first hot-briquetted iron plant in the Great Lakes region,” said Ohio Governor John R. Kasich. “The great work of JobsOhio, their local partners and the company’s trust in the Toledo workforce will create hundreds of new jobs and greater economic opportunities for families throughout this region.”

Cleveland-Cliffs will be live streaming the groundbreaking event from the project’s construction site on April 5. Interested viewers can pre-register to view the live broadcast via Cliffs’ website.

Upper Michigan Source


On 03 April 1969, RALPH MISENER (steel propeller bulk freighter, 730 foot, 19,160 gross tons, built in 1967, at Montreal, Quebec) suffered serious fire damage to her engine room during fit-out at Port Colborne, Ontario. She went overseas for scrap in 2012 as b.) GORDON C. LEITCH (ii).
On April 3, 1991, the pilothouse of the WILLIAM CLAY FORD of 1953 was moved by a barge towed by Gaelic tug's CAROLYN HOEY and placed on a specially built foundation at the Dossin Museum for display facing the Detroit River as a fully equipped pilothouse.

The tanker a.) TEMBLADOR (Hull#15) of the Barnes Ð Duluth Shipbuilding Co., was launched April 3, 1943, for the Creole Petroleum Corp, for off lakes use. She later sailed on the lakes as b.) LIQUILASSIE.

On 3 April 1872, the passenger/package freight steam barge ROBERT HOLLAND was launched at Marine City, Michigan. She was towed to Detroit by the propeller TRADER to have her machinery installed.

On 3 April 1876, the Port Huron Times reported "The wreck of the schooner HARMONICA, which has been missing for a month or more, has been discovered on the beach near Whitehall, Michigan completely buried in the ice. Four are supposed to have perished."

On 3 April 1894, WILLIAM H. BARNUM (wooden propeller freighter, 219 foot, 937 gross tons, built in 1873, at Detroit, Michigan) was carrying corn on her first trip of the season. She was reportedly in poor condition and was insured only for this voyage. Her hull was cut by floating ice and she sank in the Straits of Mackinac about two miles east of present Mackinac Bridge. The tug CRUSADER got her crew off before she sank.

1942: The second TABORFJELL to visit the Great Lakes for the Fjell Line was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic east of New Jersey on this date by U-576. The vessel was en route from Matanzas, Cuba, to New York and Montreal with sugar. The three survivors waited for 20 hours before being rescued. Another 17 crewmates perished. The 1339 gross ton vessel first came inland shortly after being delivered in August 1938.

1975: The self-unloader J.W. McGIFFIN of Canada Steamship Lines was blown aground in the Welland Canal near Thorold. Two holes were punched in the hull and they were repaired at Port Weller Dry Docks. The ship was rebuilt as CSL NIAGARA in 1999.

[yachtsmanwilly]

4/4 - Neebish Island, Mich. – Residents of Michigan's Neebish Island have had to stay put for days after excessive ice build-up in the St. Marys River that surrounds them forced the suspension of their ferry service, which they use to reach the mainland Upper Peninsula.

The island sits in the middle of the river, about 15 miles south of Sault Ste. Marie. It's one of the easternmost points of Michigan's U.P., nearly rubbing elbows with Canada. The ferry stopped its daily runs on Friday morning, halted by ice clogging the river's West Neebish Channel, called the Rock Cut.

The St. Marys River is the waterway connector for Lake Huron and Lake Superior. Freighters coming and going from the Soo Locks use the river and pass on both sides of the island. The U.S. Coast Guard and the local transportation service that runs the island's ferry announced Monday afternoon that the runs to and from Neebish were stopped until further notice.

Authorities have emergency plans in place in case there is a problem on the island.

"Last week's wind events fractured most of the shore ice above the ferry crossing and sent it cascading down river. With the lower river still packed with ice, there is no place for this newly-broken ice to go," said LTJG Sean V. Murphy, who handles public affairs communications for the Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie.

Coast Guard cutters have been in the area clearing ice, but the cold, snowy forecast does not look promising for a quick fix.

Read more at this link: www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/04/residents_on_one_michigan_isla.html


4/4 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – The U.S. Coast Guard, in coordination with local, state and federal partners, is working with the American Transmission Company to respond to a leak from a utility line in the Straits of Mackinac, approximately two miles west of the Mackinac Bridge.

The Coast Guard received notification that an electrical line cased with mineral oil might be leaking into the Straits of Mackinac yesterday afternoon. Upon notification, Coast Guard crews traveled to the area to investigate, and a Coast Guard helicopter crew conducted an overflight but neither detected an oil sheen.

The utility line’s owner, the American Transmission Company, determined that there is a leak in the utility line that crosses the Straits of Mackinac, approximately 12,000 to 15,000 feet off shore. The leaking product is composed predominately of mineral oil which is used to insulate the utility line. American Transmission Company has taken action to control the leak including securing the utility line which is currently inoperable. There is no impact to power supply to the local communities. The cause of the leak is currently under investigation.

Coast Guard Sector Sault Sainte Marie personnel are working with the Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, local tribes, and county emergency managers to oversee the pollution response.

“Safety of the public and our responders is our top priority," said Captain Marko Broz, U.S. Coast Guard Federal On Scene Coordinator. "We are further committed to protecting the environment and ensuring a proactive response.”

“The DEQ is working closely with the American Transmission Company and federal, state, local, and tribal partners to coordinate an efficient response, protect the natural resources of the Great Lakes, and ensure public health and safety,” said Scott Schaefer of Michigan DEQ.

Coast Guard responders will remain on scene and continue to coordinate with partner agencies and the American Transmission Company in response to the spill.


4/4 - Grand Haven, Mich. – Lake Michigan’s near-record water levels could have an affect on how long it takes to wrap up work on the last phase of Grand Haven’s south pier reconstruction project. According to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Engineer Tom O’Bryan, the lake is nearly 6 inches higher than it was last spring.

Officials say the pier resurfacing project will resume in May, and the work will affect the outer, lower section of the pier and require approximately 75 working days to complete. Given the increased water levels, wave action could have an even greater impact on construction plans, they added.

“Everybody wants this project done, but it will take longer if boaters don’t adhere to the ‘no wake’ (warning) as they come in and out of the channel,” O’Bryan said.

As a result of the anticipated delays due to water and weather, the completion date for the pier resurfacing project is now expected to be October. It was previously expected to be done by the 2018 Coast Guard Festival.

“Any amount of water splashing up on the surface adds a massive amount of time to the day’s work, as we have to stop, get out of the way and wait for the water to drain away before we can continue with that activity,” said Terry Andrews, lead weld and fabricator foreman for the main contractor, The King Co.

Construction officials say any amount of surface water will interfere with pouring concrete, welding and installing the steel forms. “The guys are working within 6 inches of the water for a lot of the work that needs to be done, and the water is definitely an issue,” said Dave Herweyer, a King Co. engineer. “Even less than a foot now of a wave causes problems.” The catwalk cannot be reinstalled until the pier resurfacing is complete. Even so, crews from The King Co. are currently rebuilding the catwalk structure offsite. This work includes fabricating 56 new arches, or “bents,” and restoring one of each of the three types of bents used in the original catwalk. The three restored bents will be incorporated into the reinstalled catwalk.

Grand Haven Mayor Geri McCaleb, City Manager Pat McGinnis and Save the Catwalk chairperson Erin Turrell visited The King Co. on March 22 to assess the project’s progress. Herweyer said the bents will be completed by August and stored inside until they can be reinstalled on the completed pier in spring 2019.

If the pier resurfacing project is finished before October, The King Co. plans to pour most, if not all, of the concrete bases for the bents. For the sake of structural integrity, all of the bents must be installed and tied together with their steel rails, and can’t be partially installed and left out for the winter.

“Unfortunately, Mother Nature has pushed back our plans to have the catwalk back by 2018, but I’m confident that we can count on celebrating a newly installed catwalk in spring 2019,” Turrell said

Grand Haven Tribune


04 April 1903: The first steamer to pass upbound through the Straits of Mackinac was the LUZON (steel propeller bulk freighter, 353 foot 3,582 gross tons, built in 1902 at Chicago, Illinois). She was heavily coated with ice, even to the top of the pilothouse due to fighting a gale on Lake Huron.
On 04 April 1908, ALEXIS W. THOMPSON (steel propeller bulk freighter, 504 foot, 6,437 gross tons) was launched by West Bay City Shipbuilding Co. (Hull #625) at W. Bay City, Michigan for Valley Steamship Co. (W.H. Becker, Mgr.). She lasted until 1962, when she was towed to Hamilton, Ontario, for scrapping by Steel Co. of Canada, Ltd.

The keel was laid at Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on April 4, 1978, for the Columbia Transportation Div., Oglebay Norton Co.'s FRED R. WHITE JR (Hull#722).

Sea trials of the tanker ROBERT W. STEWART (Hull#802) of American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, Ohio were run on April 4, 1928. Renamed b.) AMOCO MICHIGAN in 1962, she was sold off the lakes in 1969 and renamed c.) SHUKHEIR. Scrapped in Egypt in 1989.

WILLIAM C. ATWATER (Hull#249) was launched on April 4, 1925, by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, for the Wilson Transit Co. Renamed b.) E. J. KULAS in 1936, c.) BEN MOREELL in 1953, d.) THOMAS E. MILLSOP in 1955. Sold Canadian in 1976, renamed e.) E. J. NEWBERRY and f.) CEDARGLEN 1981. Scrapped at Port Maitland, Ontario in 1994.

FRED G. HARTWELL (Hull#112) was launched April 4, 1908, by the Toledo Shipbuilding Co., for the Mutual Steamship Co., G. A. Tomlinson, mgr. Renamed b.) HARRY W. CROFT in 1917. Scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1969.

Interlake Steamship's E.G. GRACE became the first Maritimer to be sold for scrap when she was acquired by Marine Salvage on April 4, 1984.

JEAN-TALON was launched April 4, 1936, as a.) FRANQUELIN (Hull#1517) by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. for the Quebec and Ontario Transportation Co. Ltd.

The harbor tug and fire boat EDNA G was launched April 4, 1896, by the Cleveland Ship Building Co., as (Hull#25), for the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railroad Co.

On April 4, 1983, and on April 4, 1984, the WILLIAM CLAY FORD, opened the shipping season at Duluth, Minnesota. While the WILLIAM CLAY FORD was traditionally among the first vessels to visit Duluth-Superior, it was coincidence that she opened the port on the same day during her last two seasons in service.

On 4 April 1872, the schooner JOHN WESLEY was launched from Bailey's yard at Toledo, Ohio. She was built for Skidmore & Abairs. She was classed as a full-sized canaller and cost $22,000.

On 4 April 1881, the last two vessels of the Northern Transit Company, CHAMPLAIN and LAWRENCE, were sold to D. H. Day & Company of Grand Haven, Michigan.

1969: The Liberty ship CORINTHIAKOS made three trips to the Great Lakes beginning in 1960. It had been built as a tanker but rebuilt as a bulk carrier in 1955. The ship was sailing under Liberian registry as h) PACSTAR when it ran aground in a storm on the north shore of Toshima, Tokyo Bay en route from Kure, Japan, to Portland, Oregon, in ballast. The bottom was opened to the sea and the engine room was flooded. Salvage efforts were unsuccessful and the ship was abandoned as a total loss and sold for scrap.

1969: The self-unloader HOCHELAGA of Canada Steamship Lines hit the breakwall stern first while turning with the help of tugs at Conneaut, Ohio. The cargo of coal was lightered to MANITOULIN and HOCHELAGA had to go to Port Colborne for repairs.

1997: ELIJIANNI, a Greek bulk carrier, had visited the Great Lakes in 1979. It was sailing as d) KEKOVA when it was in a collision with the VASILIOS III, a Greek tanker, in the Sea of Marmora on this date in 1997. There were temporary repairs to the port bow but the 27-year-old vessel was sold for scrap and arrived at Aliaga, Turkey, for dismantling on June 2, 1997.

[yachtsmanwilly]

4/5 - Last week, two tribal fishermen attempted to transit from Charlevoix to Beaver Island, in a fishing tug, and became stuck in the ice about ½ mile off of St. James Harbor, Beaver Island.

As the fishermen waited for assistance, a Coast Guard air crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City delivered food and water via helicopter. The Coast Guard helicopter then landed on Beaver Island and coordinated with Beaver Island local law enforcement to obtain firewood to air drop to the fishermen.

The Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock transited from Green Bay, WI, to Beaver Island to assist the fishermen. The Hollyhock expertly positioned herself alongside the fishing tug, near dangerously shallow waters, to deploy an ice rescue team.

The ice rescue team attached a tow line to the bow of the fishing tug, and used an inflatable ice rescue boat to bring the towline to shore. From shore, a good Samaritan used a winch to tow the fishing tug to safety.

View images at this link: upnorthlive.com/news/local/fishermen-stuck-in-fishing-tug-rescued-near-beaver-island

USCG


4/5 - Mackinaw City, Mich. – A Unified Command has been established in response to a mineral oil release from a utility line in the Straits of Mackinac, Monday.

The Coast Guard established the Unified Command comprised of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, county emergency managers, local tribes, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Environmental Protection Agency, and the responsible party to oversee the pollution response and mitigate any risks to the environment.

Initial reports from the responsible party indicate that approximately 600 gallons of product has been released. The maximum potential for the spill is more than 4,000 gallons. There have been no reported impacts to wildlife, and responders will continue to assess as work progresses.

American Transmission Company, the responsible party, has activated their Oil Spill Response Plan. Currently, there is no pressure on the affected lines and the oil is not known to be leaking from the source. ATC will remove the oil from the lines via vacuum as well as conduct overflights to monitor the spill.

The product is comprised of mineral oil, a thin and light substance. Samples of the product have been sent for laboratory analysis. Given the dilution of the product and mobility of fish, there is a low risk to fisheries and wildlife. The greatest threat is to waterfowl or shore birds that may come in contact with the product floating on the surface. Due to the inaccessibility of the shorelines from ice, there is a low-risk threat to the public since they are unable to come in contact with the oil. The dilution of the oil and distance from the bridge provide additional protection from the product.

There are two water intakes in the general vicinity, but given the dilution of the oil and the distance of the intakes from the source of the discharge, there is no significant threat to drinking water at this time.

Commercial vessel traffic has not been impacted.

"Our top priorities are to protect public health, the safety of both responders and communities in this region, and limit the environmental impacts as we contain and clean-up the spill as quickly and efficiently as possible," said Capt. Marko Broz, the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the response. "We are responding in cooperation with our federal, state, local and industry partners and have experience from actual spills on/in ice to draw from, as well as lessons from other areas around the country and around the world."

The Coast Guard received notification of the potential spill from the American Transmission Company on Monday evening. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew was deployed to conduct an overflight of the area. Additionally, response teams from Sector Sault Sainte Marie were dispatched to investigate. The Coast Guard does not approve or regulate pipelines or pipeline response plans. Those are approved and regulated by the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

The Coast Guard's role is to oversee the response efforts and ensure that the responsible party is responding in accordance with their established plan. For more information contact email the Point Le Barbe Response at the Joint Information Center at [e-mail] or District 9 Public Affairs at 216-902-6020.


4/5 - Sault Ste, Marie, Mich. – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay will open the waters between Bayfield and Madeline Island, Wisconsin, Saturday morning. At the request of local officials, Morro Bay will conduct the break out of Chequamegon Bay. The ice road linking the mainland to the island is no longer serviceable which renders this action necessary.

USCG


On 05 April 1890, INDIANA (wooden propeller passenger/package freight steamer, 220 foot, 1,178 gross tons) was launched by Burger and Burger at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for the Goodrich Transportation Company. The total cost of the vessel was $135,000.
On April 5, 1984, the joined sections of the HILDA MARJANNE and CHIMO emerged from Port Weller Dry Dock Ltd., as the b.) CANADIAN RANGER.

Sea trials for Canada Steamship Lines new bulk freighter, PRAIRIE HARVEST (Hull#227) of Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., were complete on April 5, 1984. She operates on the Lakes today as the self-unloader d.) ATLANTIC HURON.

The a.) LUZON (Hull#54) of the Chicago Ship Building Co. was launched for the Erie Steamship Co., E.D. Carter, mgr., on April 5, 1902. Renamed b.) JOHN ANDERSON in 1924 and c.) G. G. POST in 1933. She was scrapped at Izmir, Turkey, in 1972.

April 5, 1977 - The Chessie System announced that the CITY OF MIDLAND 41 would be withdrawn from service and only the SPARTAN and BADGER would run for the season.

On 5 April 1854, AMERICA (wooden side-wheeler, 240 foot, 1,083 tons, built in 1847, at Port Huron, Michigan) was bound for Cleveland from Detroit. After the captain had set her course and gone to bed, the 2nd mate changed the course to the north. The 1st and 2nd mates disagreed about the course and as they awoke the captain, the ship ran aground near Point Pelee, Ontario. Wave action reduced the vessel to rubble but no lives were lost.

On 5 April 1879, the 3-mast wooden schooner RESUMPTION was launched at the Wolf & Davidson yard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her dimensions were 143 foot x 29 foot x 10 feet, 294 gross tons, 279 net tons.

April 5, 1962, the tanker ROBERT W. STEWART was renamed b.) AMOCO MICHIGAN, The WILLIAM P. COWAN was renamed b.) AMOCO ILLINOIS, the EDWARD G. SEUBERT was renamed b.) AMOCO WISCONSIN and the RED CROWN was renamed b.) AMOCO INDIANA, after being transferred from Standard Oil Company in a sale to the American Oil Company for $10 for each ship. Each ship traded in their names and their well-known red superstructure for a typical white paint job which stuck with them until their end. The only change came to the AMOCO INDIANA when she traded in her black hull for the blue paint of c.) MEDUSA CONQUEST, d.) SOUTHDOWN CONQUEST, e.) CEMEX CONQUEST and f.) ST MARYS CONQUEST. She operates today as a self - unloading cement barge.

1921: The Imperial Oil tanker IMPOCO (ii) had combined Great Lakes and coastal trading and had gone as far afield as the Mediterranean Sea and the Falkland Islands during World War One. The 8-year old vessel stranded at Blonde Rock, Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, on this date in 1921 while en route from Halifax to Saint John with a cargo of gasoline. The ship was lightered, salvaged on May 4, and beached at Charles Harbour and then at Halifax as not worth repair. The hull was apparently not scrapped until 1953.

1983: The small Finnish freighter KENITRA visited the Great Lakes in 1957. It was abandoned by her crew in the Red Sea while sailing as d) ALASKA on this date in 1983. It had developed a severe list while traveling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Mersin, Turkey, and sank the same day.

1996: The Liberian freighter STEEL FLOWER ran aground in the St. Lawrence near Wellesley Island while upbound on this date in 1996 and was stuck for two days. The ship had also been a Seaway trader as a) FEDERAL RHINE (i) from 1978 to 1992, as STEEL FLOWER from 1994 to 1996 and as c) NARRAGANSETT from 1997 to 1999 before going to Alang, India, for scrap later in 1999.

1999: The PATERSON (ii) ran aground in Lake St. Francis and was stuck for two days. The ship went to Les Mechins, QC for repairs and returned to work on May 13. The vessel now sails for Canada Steamship Lines as b) PINEGLEN (ii).

1999: ALGONTARIO ran aground at Johnsons Point in the St. Mary's River while upbound with a load of cement from Clarkson to Duluth. The ship was released April 7 and, after unloading, was laid up at Thunder Bay until eventual repairs and a return to service on October 10, 2004. The vessel was towed to Aliaga, Turkey, for scrapping in 2011.

[yachtsmanwilly]

4/6 - Marblehead, Ohio – The Marblehead dock relied on by Lafarge Marblehead Quarry to ship aggregate materials was severely damaged by a three-day storm on March 18-20 that buffeted the Marblehead Peninsula with gale force northeast winds. After the storm, Lafarge officials noted some damage to the dock.

“For the safety of our employees, contractors and vessels coming to our quarry we have closed the dock until it can be fully repaired and is safe for operations to resume,” said Jocelyn M. Gerst, head of U.S. communications for Lafarge Holcim. It is expected the dock will be closed down for repair for at least a few months.

The Marblehead Quarry distributes roughly 95 percent of materials via lake vehicle, said Gerst. Without that critical access, production will be significantly cut.

“As a result, we have taken the hard step to lay off a number of employees,” said Gerst. “Our hope is to be able to welcome them back to work as soon as construction is complete and the dock is safe.”

Lafarge is working with Hinckley, Ohio-based Great Lakes Construction and Geo Gradel company to develop new designs, including working with the original engineer who built the dock 30 years ago. Lafarge has to complete this stage and go through the permitting processes, as well, but hopes to have the dock operational in a few months.

The Beacon


4/6 - Monroe, Mich. – The Mississagi sought safe harbor in Monroe March 29, making it the first ship to dock at the port this season.

It wasn’t a planned arrival. The Mississagi arrived March 29 in need of a place to make repairs, said Port Director Paul C. LaMarre III. “The ship was not carrying cargo but needed a place to seek safe harbor for emergency repairs,” he said. “It was here 24 hours.”

The ship was traveling from Lake Superior to the St. Marys River when it struck ice that put a hole in the ship’s bow. The crew was able to apply a temporary patch before it docked in Monroe for the repairs, LaMarre said. The Mississagi was on its way to the Port of Toledo for a coal load.

Built in 1943 in Ecorse, the ship is among the oldest vessels on the Great Lakes. One of the port’s objectives is to offer full-service ship repair, LaMarre added.

“The port proved to be an excellent location for the repair,” he said. “This is a perfect example of the vision we have at the port to be a place that offers ship repair services in the future.”

The Great Lakes shipping season opened last week. The Soo Locks opened March 25 while the St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened March 29. The Great Lakes as a whole is planning for a busy 2018 shipping season fueled by new business and infrastructure expansion.

“We have great potential to build on the recent economic momentum of Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway shipping,” said Bruce Burrows in a news release. “2017 was a major turnaround with significant cargo increases fueled by global economic recovery.” Burrows is the president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the bi-national association that represents more than 130 marine industry stakeholders.

“We expect 2018 to be another strong year in shipping. U.S. Great Lakes ports have made significant investments in infrastructure and services that are attracting new business to their respective regions and facilitating American cross-border and international trade,” he said.

In 2017, the Port of Monroe had its most diverse cargo come through. While its average tonnage was down from 2016, there were many successes. The port’s tonnage was 1,782,479.77 metric tons down from 2,385,372.89 metric tons in 2016.

LaMarre said this year will be similar. The port still plans to move coal, limestone, petroleum coke, synthetic gypsum, stone and liquid asphalt during the year. Two liquid asphalt shipments have arrived at the port already, including the most recent delivery Tuesday.

“We are not going to break tonnage records because more coal is being sent by rail versus marine,” he said. “The diversification of cargo in the last few seasons provides a number of opportunities for the port.”

Next week, the port expects its first vessel to unload cargo at its new intermodal dock, which was finished last year.

The $3.6 million project included money the port received from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. It received a $3 million loan from the MEDC’s investment funds for dredging and dock installation. The dock created two large, cellular cofferdams, which allows ships to be moored against the port.

Monroe Evening News


4/6 - Mackinaw City, Mich. – A Coast Guard marine science technician and an environmental quality analyst for Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality surveyed the Straits of Mackinac onboard a vessel Thursday afternoon. The responders did not identify any mineral oil sheens, signs of pollution, or adverse impacts to the environment or wildlife.

Members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture are deploying to the scene to survey the area for any wildlife that may be affected by the mineral oil spill.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s new calculation for the trajectory of the spill is to the east and northeast of the utility line, due to changing weather conditions. The entities responsible for the operation of the water intakes in the surrounding communities have been notified of the change in trajectory, however there is still low risk to drinking water and the environment due to the product’s low toxicity and dilution in the waterway. The mineral oil is not known to be leaking from the source at this time, and the estimated amount of oil spilled remains at 600 gallons.

In the mineral oil, there is a dielectric fluid that contains a benzene compound.

“The benzene molecule is known to cause cancer but these larger chemicals (benzene compounds in the dielectric fluid) have not been classified as causing cancer," said Edward Primeau, an industrial hygienist from the Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team.

Crews continue to extract the oil from the affected two utility lines.

USCG


The a.) LOUIS R. DAVIDSON (Hull#95) of the Great Lakes Engineering Works was launched April 6, 1912, for the American Steamship Co. Later renamed b.) DIAMOND ALKALI in 1932, c.) DOW CHEMICAL in 1939 and d.) FERNDALE in 1963. She was scrapped at Castellon, Spain in 1979.
April 6, 1931 - The CITY OF FLINT 32 set a world record sailing 101,000 miles in her first year of service.

On 6 April 1872, the schooner I.N. FOSTER was launched from the Fitzgerald & Leighton yard at Port Huron, Michigan. She was classified as a "full-sized canaller" since she was as large as a vessel could be to pass through the Welland Canal. Her dimensions were 143 foot overall, 26 foot inch beam, 11 foot 6 inch depth, 437 tons.

1942: The CANADIAN FARMER was Hull 65 of the Collingwood shipyard and it was launched there on December 27, 1919. The vessel was sailing as c) SHIN KUANG when it was sunk by Japanese surface naval forces on the Bay of Bengal.

1949: FORT WILLDOC of the Paterson fleet and the JAMES E. McALPINE of the Brown Steamship Co. collided in Lake Superior, above Whitefish Point, on this date. Both ships were damaged and needed repairs.

1972: The freighter STAR OF REWIAH had been built at Collingwood as Hull 105 and launched as the corvette H.M.S. COMFREY on July 28, 1942. The ship was later converted to a cargo carrier and was sailing under this sixth name when it ran aground off the Ashrafi Lighthouse in the Gulf of Suez and declared a total loss on this date in 1972. It was traveling in ballast from Suez, Egypt, to Safaga, Egypt, at the time.

1978: The self-unloader TARANTAU was blown aground due to the wind and shifting ice pack in Lake Huron above Port Huron and had to be freed by the tug BARBARA ANN.

1979: A violent spring storm found LABRADOC (ii) on Lake Erie where the cargo shifted and the vessel took on a precarious list. All on board were removed fearing the ship would roll over and sink. But it survived and was towed to safety eventually undergoing repairs at Port Weller Dry Docks. The vessel left Great Lakes service in 1988 and operated on deep sea runs as b) FALCON CREST until scrapping at Gadani Beach, Pakistan, in 1994.

1992: An explosion and fire in the tunnel of HALIFAX occurred while the CSL ship was upbound in the St. Marys River. One sailor was killed and two more injured while the ship sustained internal damage. It went to Thunder Bay for repairs.