Today in Great Lakes History

[yachtsmanwilly]

5/4 - Manitowoc, Wis. – Heavy-duty dock repairs are underway in Manitowoc this week after a storm ripped through Wisconsin just weeks ago. People expecting to ride the S.S. Badger across Lake Michigan are relying on an $800,000 state grant. The money will fix loading equipment needed for the ferry to operate and other damage caused by the storms, but it has to be done in the next eight days.

Urban Geimer of Two Rivers looked on as workers re-built Thursday, pointing out to Action 2 News what he’d seen, saying, “that all got washed away, that was all gone.”

"For the last eight years I've been here almost every day for the car ferry,” said Geimer, who proudly wears an S.S. Badger jacket every day that he bought on the boat years ago. "I was down at The Fat Seagull tavern down here and somebody told me that there was some damage."

"The people that come off the car ferry – they normally will come stop here,” said Newey Boonperm who works at The Fat Seagull. Boonperm is among Restaurant workers nearby also breathing a sigh of relief the S.S. Badger will run its normal season. "We are happy that the dock is getting fixed because it does bring a lot of business towards this way. Manitowoc needs all the business we can get especially downtown."

Many in the Manitowoc area couldn't believe their eyes when they first laid eyes on the damage the strong winds, snow and waves brought to the dock. "They're working hard, hopefully they get it ready by the 11th,” said another onlooker, William Rodewald of Manitowoc. For Rodewald, the history on the carferry runs deep. “My first trip on the carferry was December of '65,” he said.

Asked if he would be riding the S.S. Badger this season, he responded, “In June my family's going. It's an enjoyable trip, believe me. This is a state highway through here, and the carferry is part of that state highway. So we gotta keep it goin!"

WBAY


5/4 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – “After spending all that money in the Middle East, can you imagine? And we can’t fix a lock… we’ll get it fixed,” said President Trump who promised federal action during his rally in Macomb County recently to help rebuild the Soo Locks.

The president said he was going to immediately look into what needs to be done to fix the aging infrastructure. The comments have put Sault Ste. Marie in the national spotlight and it’s creating quite a buzz among people that live in this area. “Agree or disagree with him it’s very, very cool to hear an official mention the town and the area,” Ben Deatrick, said. Deatrick has lived in the Soo for quite a while, and one thing that hasn’t changed much in that time are the locks.

“Your lock isn’t working too well, it’s not working too well, it hasn’t been fixed in 50 years, in all fairness,” Trump added.

Those comments resonate with people like Deatrick. “I say great, fantastic, we certainly need a new lock and it could be a great benefactor to our city. A lot of those ships just to have to wait you know at the pier for two to three hours, sometimes all day, they really could use the new lock,” Deatrick added.

Larry and Janet Besaw may not agree with a lot of what the president says but can agree with his comments about the locks. “Not just for this area but the country in general, without the locks the shipping stops that tons and tons of shipping so it would be foolish not to,” Janet Besaw said.

“It was interesting to hear him say it, considering years ago supposedly they approved the upgrade of the locks so congress had no funding for it so they basically said yea go ahead do it,” she added.

That was in 1986. Thursday in Lansing, Gov. Rick Snyder announced that Lt. Gov. Brian Calley is expected to work alongside the White House as they figure out the next steps to rebuild.

9&10 News


5/4 - Toledo, Ohio – Increases in cargo movement on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway in 2017 were but two of several positive developments last year. The 2017 Annual Report of Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) released Thursday highlights progress on maintaining the Jones Act as the foundation of America’s domestic maritime policy; building a second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; construction of another heavy icebreaker for the Great Lakes; and increased funding for dredging Great Lakes ports and waterways.

The Jones Act requires that cargo moving between U.S. ports be carried in vessels that are U.S.-crewed, -built and -owned. Although the Jones Act was enacted in 1920, the United States has reserved domestic waterborne commerce to U.S.-flag vessels since 1817. Following the hurricanes that battered Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico, there were claims the law was inhibiting relief efforts, particularly in Puerto Rico, but there was no basis in fact. “The docks were jammed with cargo. The problem was the land-based transportation infrastructure was so tattered after the hurricane that cargo could not move inland. Congress wisely rejected making any changes to the Jones Act.”

On the infrastructure front, GLMTF continued its efforts to build a second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The Soo Locks connect Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and typically handle 80 million tons of cargo per year, 90-plus percent of which transit the Poe Lock. Although authorized by Congress, the project has been stalled by a flawed benefit/cost analysis by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but President Trump has pledged to get the project moving.

The Task Force is also focused on building another heavy icebreaker to partner with the Mackinaw so the U.S. Coast Guard can keep cargo moving during the ice season, typically mid-December to mid- or late-April. The Annual Report notes that in December 2017 and January 2018, U.S.-flag lakers had more than 1.8 million tons of cargo delayed or cancelled by ice.

“While the Mackinaw performed well, the Coast Guard’s smaller icebreakers were often overmatched, and some had to be taken out of service for varying periods of time ... The only way the fleet can reliably meet the needs of commerce is if the United States Coast Guard has two heavy icebreakers stationed on the Great Lakes.”

The Great Lakes are currently in a period of high water, but it is inevitable that they will fall again, so it is imperative that Congress continue to increase expenditures from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and give the Lakes their fair share of dredging dollars. “Thanks to GLMTF’s commitment to restoring adequate funding for dredging, the Lakes’ annual appropriation has just about doubled, from $80 million in 2012 to almost $160 million in 2017, but the need remains great. Nearly 15 million cubic yards of sediment still clog the Great Lakes Navigation System.”

GLMTF continued to support passage of the S. 168, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA). This legislation will bring much needed clarity and consistency to governance of ballast water discharges and put oversight where it best belongs: The U.S. Coast Guard. The current patchwork approach of regulations differing from federal agency to federal agency and state to state makes compliance nearly impossible.

Great Lakes Maritime Task Force


5/4 - Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) recently launched a one-stop online portal for information about maritime careers on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The website, which provides information on types of maritime careers, employers, training and certifications, is also now accepting postings for available jobs. Employers interested in posting a maritime job on the career portal can click here.

“In our longstanding role of advocating for the regional water-based economy, the Great Lakes Commission is proud to present this new maritime jobs website,” said Steve Fisher, executive director of the American Great Lakes Ports Association and GLC commissioner from Indiana. “Ports and shippers support real jobs and economic development across the Great Lakes region, and this website will allow them to more efficiently attract talent. With growing demand for jobs both aboard ships and on shore, and a projected shortage in qualified personnel, the maritime industry offers attractive career opportunities in the Great Lakes and beyond.”

“We’re strategically focusing our efforts on finding, developing and training a team of professionals for a growing workforce to successfully accomplish current and future contracts,” said Joe Starck, President, The Great Lakes Towing Company. “This starts with hiring world-class talent and the Great Lakes Maritime Careers website would be another great way to find qualified candidates.”

A comprehensive online careers website for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River maritime industry was called for as a tool to better connect industry with prospective applicants in the 2016 Strategy for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Maritime Transportation System, developed by the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers. The strategy recommends actions to maintain and expand the maritime transportation system. As part of its work to support commercial navigation in the Great Lakes region, the GLC developed the online portal with input from regional stakeholders. The maritime industry on the Great Lakes moves 200 million tons of freight each year, generates 227,000 jobs and $34 billion (USD) in business revenue, and supports industries such as manufacturing, steel production, agriculture and power generation.

Great Lakes Commission


On May 4, 1958, JOHN SHERWIN entered service. The SHERWIN has been in lay-up for over half of her life on the Great Lakes. She last sailed on November 16, 1981.
On her maiden voyage May 4, 1976, ST. CLAIR departed Sturgeon Bay for Escanaba, Michigan, to load 39,803 gross tons of iron ore pellets for Indiana Harbor, Indiana arriving there on May 5th.

OREFAX ran aground on May 4, 1963, way off course near Manistique, Michigan. She was lightered and pulled off by the Roen Salvage Co. and made her way to Toronto, Ontario, where she discharged her cargo and left for repairs.

The tanker VENUS, a.) MARTHA E. ALLEN of 1928 suffered an explosion on May 4, 1972, when the crew was cleaning tanks while at anchor waiting for the fog to lift about seven miles west of the Eisenhower Lock in the Seaway. Two explosions rocked the ship, killing her skipper, Captain Stanley, and injuring three crewmen.

On 04 May 1839, ATLAS (wooden schooner, built in 1836, at Dexter, New York) was carrying building stone from Chaumont Bay to Oswego, New York, when she foundered 6 miles from Oswego. The steamer TELEGRAPH rushed out of Oswego to assist her but only found a little flotsam. All five on board were lost: Capt. Asahel Wescott, Ortha Little, William Ackerman, John Lee and Asa Davis (a passenger).

1889: The new Canadian Pacific steamer MANITOBA was launched at Owen Sound.

1911: The STEPHEN M. CLEMENT sank the ERWIN L. FISHER in a collision on the Detroit River. The former last sailed as PEAVEY PIONEER and was scrapped in 1968-1969.

1968: The Swedish freighter BRORIVER made 9 trips to the Great Lakes in 1965-1966. It was sold and renamed d) THALIA later in 1966 and caught fire on the Atlantic on this date in 1968. The blaze originated in the engine room but gutted the ship. It was abandoned the next day and was eventually towed to Dakar, Senegal, where it was forced to anchor 8 miles out, as officials did not want it in the port. The vessel later sank at the anchorage.

[yachtsmanwilly]

5/7 - Marquette, Mich. – Michigan’s coastline boasts more lighthouses than any other state. The Superior Watershed Partnership invites the public to a free presentation about Stannard Rock Lighthouse at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Citizen’s Forum in Lakeview Arena. Learn about the history of this remote lighthouse and the plans for its continued preservation.

The SWP acquired Stannard Rock Lighthouse from the federal government in 2015 and is working with partners to complete a Historic Structure Report to guide the ongoing rehabilitation of this unique structure.

About 42 miles from Marquette in Lake Superior, the Stannard Rock Light Station is the farthest lighthouse from a coast in the United States and often was referred to by the Coast Guard as one of the loneliest places in the country.

This presentation will provide an in-depth view of the history and development of the 136-year-old isolated station, as well as its current condition, the work and mission of the Superior Watershed Partnership & Land Trust, and the recommendations established to guide the future of the station. The current challenges and potential solutions for the station will be discussed.

Participants will be able to view many historic photographs of this station and footage of the station today, including as seen from a drone.

Michigan offshore light stations are difficult to visit and not easily visible to the general public. As a result, nonprofit stewards have a difficult time with fundraising and educating the public on the significance of these resources.

To assist these stewards, a comprehensive document such as an HSR is essential for evaluating and identifying existing conditions, providing a solid plan for future rehabilitation projects that fully comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and collecting important historical information.

Everyone is invited to come learn more about Stannard Island Light Station and how to get involved with its rehabilitation.

Learn about the key features at the station that were evaluated. Learn about the process of identifying uses and determining the treatments for the historic resources and features, taking into account accessibility, hazardous materials and compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. This presentation also provides continuing education credit through the American Institute of Architects.

The presentation is hosted by the Superior Watershed Partnership with support from the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program in cooperation with the State Historic Preservation Office, OX Studio and the Smay Trombley Architecture firm.

For more information, contact the SWP at [e-mail] or call 906-228-6095.

Iron Mountain Daily News


5/7 - Thunder Bay, Ont. – Lake Superior’s water level declined by a record 3 cm (1 inch) in April, normally the month that it begins its seasonal rise, and at the beginning-of-May, Lake Superior is 15 cm (6 in) above average (1918 - 2017), but 4 cm (2 in) below the level at this time last year.

Lake Michigan-Huron saw wetter weather in April and levels resumed their seasonal rise, increasing 10 cm (4 in) last month. Lake Michigan-Huron is currently 41 cm (16 in) above average, 10 cm (4 in) above last year’s beginning-of-May level and the highest since 1998. The seasonal water level rise is expected to begin on Lake Superior and continue on Lake Michigan-Huron in May.

Despite the recent decline on Lake Superior, the above-average levels coupled with strong winds and waves continue to result in shoreline erosion and coastal damages across the upper Great Lakes system. Additional shoreline erosion and coastal damages may occur this spring and summer should active weather continue.

The Board recently obtained approval from the International Joint Commission (IJC) to temporarily deviate from Regulation Plan 2012 from May through November 2018 in a manner similar to that employed in the past three years, which were also marked by high lake levels and outflows.

Over the next several months, the Board expects to adjust the gate settings at the Compensating Works and release flows greater than those prescribed by Regulation Plan 2012 in order to offset the effects of reductions in hydropower flows due to maintenance activities that occurred this past winter and that are expected to continue through the summer and fall.

Accordingly, the Board, under authority granted to it by the IJC, has set the Lake Superior outflow to 2,290 cubic meters per second (cms) (80,870 cubic feet per second (cfs)) for the month of May, which is 50 cms (1,766 cfs) more than that prescribed by Regulation Plan 2012. Actual outflows may vary depending on hydrologic and ice conditions, as well as maintenance activities at the hydropower plants on the St. Marys River.

The Board continues to monitor ice conditions and will increase the gate setting at the Compensating Works as soon as ice conditions permit, possibly as early as next week. The average St. Marys Rapids flow in May is expected to be approximately 280 cms (9,888 cfs) and the gates are expected to be opened to the equivalent of two gates fully open. Anglers and other users of the St. Marys Rapids need to be cautious of the changing flows and water levels that will be experienced in the rapids in May.

The Board stresses that hydrologic conditions are the primary driver of water level fluctuations. Water levels of the Great Lakes cannot be fully controlled through regulation of outflows, nor can regulation completely eliminate the risk of extreme water levels from occurring during periods of severe weather and water supply conditions. It is not possible to accurately predict such conditions weeks in advance, but given the current levels of the lakes and the possibility that wet conditions may continue, the Board advises all those that may be impacted prepare for the possibility of high water levels, should they occur this spring, summer and fall.

Lake Superior News


ALGOPORT (Hull#217) was launched at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., May 7, 1979 for Algoma Central Railway.
HUTCHCLIFFE HALL entered service on May 7, 1954.

A.M. BYERS (Hull#448) was launched May 7, 1910 at Cleveland, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for the North American Steamship Co. (R.A. Williams, mgr.). Renamed b.) CLEMENS A. REISS in 1959 and c.) JACK WIRT in 1970.

May 7, 1903 - The Benton Harbor, Coloma & Paw Paw Lake Railway was purchased by the Pere Marquette Railroad.

May 7, 1929 - The Pere Marquette notified Ludington it was interested in buying the frontage on Pere Marquette Lake that had been used by the Monroe Body Company. The city council asked $25,000 for the property, and the railroad agreed. Work on the No. 3 slip began a few months later.

On 7 May 1874, the schooner JENNIE MATHEWS was launched at Hardison's yard in Port Huron, Michigan. The launch started very slowly but with the help of men pulling on ropes, the vessel slid into the Black River nicely. Her first skipper was Capt. McGifford and her owner was Mr. Hardison. On 07 May 1954, official ground-breaking ceremonies were held for the Mackinac Bridge. It was completed three and a half years later.

1891: The new Canadian Pacific steamer MANITOBA, although built in 1889, had been laid up due to a recession and finally sailed on her maiden voyage on this date in 1891.

1935: A fire aboard ALEXANDER LESLIE at the port of Erieau, Ont., killed one member of the crew and injured two others.

1965: CEDARVILLE and TOPDALSFJORD collided in fog in the Straits of Mackinac. Ten lives were lost when the former, a self-unloader in the Bradley fleet, sank. The latter, a Norwegian freighter, had been a Seaway trader since 1960. Later, on May 11, 1984, as d) JIN XIAN QUAN, it sank the SEA CARRIER, another former Seaway trader as SVANEFJELL, in the Strait of Formosa off Taishan Island. TOPDALSFJORD was last noted as e) CHANGHI and was deleted from Lloyd's Register in 2005.

1998: CANADIAN ENTERPRISE loaded a record 32,366 tons of road salt at Goderich for delivery to Milwaukee.

On May 6, 1984 the CANADIAN RANGER sailed from Port Weller on her maiden voyage to load coal at Toledo, Ohio.
In 1944 the HILDA (2) and the barge MAITLAND NO.1 started the rescue operation of freighter GEORGE M. HUMPHREY (1) which sank in a collision with the D.M. CLEMSON (2) in the Straits of Mackinac.

This day in 1923 the EDWIN E. SLICK was struck by the steamer J. LEONARD REPLOGLE in the ice on Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior.

HARVEY D. GOULDER entered service on May 6, 1906.

On May 6, 1934, ROYALTON (1) helped rescue the steamer TEN, which had lost power in a Lake Superior ice field and required a tow to safety.

On May 6, 1975 while unloading iron ore at Conneaut, Ohio, a leg and bucket from No.2 Hulett gave way and fell into the RALPH H. WATSON's cargo hold. A crane was rigged to remove the wreckage. A nine by twelve foot patch was required on her port side tank, which was holed in the accident.

On 6 May 1847, CUBA (wooden schooner, 89 foot, 139 tons, built in 1844 at Peninsula, New York as a brig) was carrying wheat near Point Breeze, New York in Lake Ontario when she was run down and sunk in a collision with the steamer GENESEE CHIEF. No lives were lost.

On 6 May 1858, the bark E.S. ADAMS began her voyage from Amherstburg, Ontario to London, England with a load of walnut timber. The transatlantic portion of the voyage took only 26 days and the vessel was back on the lakes in September 1858.

EASTLAND was launched on 06 May 1903 at the Jenks Ship Building Company (Hull #25) at Port Huron, Michigan for the Michigan Steamship Company. She was christened by Mrs. Frances E. Perene.

1914: CITY OF ROME caught fire in Lake Erie and the blaze spread quickly. The vessel was run aground near Ripley, NY and the 15-member crew took to the lifeboats and rowed ashore. The 33-year old wooden freighter was a total loss.

1977: The West German freighter SUSANNE FRITZEN made 19 trips through the Seaway from 1963 through 1967. The vessel arrived at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with engine trouble as c) MARGRIT B. on this date in 1977. It remained idle and had to be towed to Piraeus, Greece, and laid up in 1978. The ship left there February 15, 1979, for the scrapyard in Barcelona, Spain.

1988: The Cypriot flag freighter PONTOKRATIS was under tow and downbound in the Little Calumet River at Chicago when the CSX railroad bascule bridge ended up across the stern cabin and pilothouse. There were no injuries and both sides launched a lawsuit. The vessel was released May 16 and continued to visit the Seaway as late as 2006. It renamed NAVIGATOR M. in 2010.

May 5, 1904 the Crisp Point Light on Lake Superior went into service.
WILLIAM CLAY FORD (Hull#300) was launched at River Rouge, Michigan, by Great Lakes Engineering Works, May 5, 1953, for the Ford Motor Co.

On May 5, 1980, the SHARON, a.) ARCHERS HOPE of 1945, grounded in the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River. She was freed on May 7th and proceeded to Monroe, Michigan, and was laid up there on May 8, 1980. No repairs were made and she never sailed again.

On May 5, 1914, the GEORGE F. BAKER was traveling down bound in Lake Superior in dense fog with 10,500 tons of iron ore from Ashland, Wisconsin. She ran hard aground on Sawtooth Reef off Eagle River, on Upper Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.

May 5, 1914 - An unusual cargo, two "Jack Johnsons" (Navy guns) were hauled by the PERE MARQUETTE 17.

The small schooner ST PETER was loaded with grain when she sank 35 miles from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 5 May 1874. The crew reached shore in the yawl.

The steam barge KITTIE M. FORBES was launched in Bay City, Michigan, on 5 May 1883. She was owned by Capt. William Forbes and named for his daughter. Her keel was laid on 1 December 1882. Her dimensions were 195 feet keel, 209 foot overall, 35 foot beam and 14 foot depth. Her engine was built by Samuel F. Hodge.

On 05 May 1902, MILWAUKEE (steel propeller freighter, 325 foot, 3,327 gross tons) was launched at the Chicago Ship Building Company (Hull #55) at South Chicago, Illinois, for the Western Transit Co. She lasted until 1940, when she was scrapped at Hamilton, Ontario.

1960: The coastal freighter FEDERAL EXPRESS had been built at Midland in 1944 as H.M.C.S. WEST YORK. It was hit at the dock in Montreal on this date in 1960 by the Swedish freighter POLARIS, drifted downstream and sank. The stern was raised August 12, 1960, and the remainder of the hull came up in pieces.

1964: The downbound bulk carrier ERNEST T. WEIR sustained damage to the port bow when it collided with tanker MERCURY in Lake St. Clair. The latter had sheered to the left, went aground after the accident and developed a list. Both ships were repaired and ERNEST T. WEIR survives today as the idle self-unloader AMERICAN FORTITUDE.

1978: JALAVIHAR first visited the Great Lakes in 1966 under the flag of India. It ran aground in the Red Sea as d) KATERINA on this date in 1978. After being released it continued to Palermo, Italy, where it was declared beyond economical repair and was eventually scrapped at Split, Yugoslavia.

2009: VICTORIA first came through the Seaway in September 2004. On May 5, 2009, the ship, loaded with 10,000 metric tonnes of rice and its crew of 11 Romanian sailors, were captured by pirates, about 75 miles south of Yemen and held hostage. After the payment of a reported $1.8 million ransom, the vessel was released on July 18, 2009. It was back on the Great Lakes in 2011.

[yachtsmanwilly]

The 1,000-foot COLUMBIA STAR was christened May 8, 1981, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, for Columbia Transportation Div., Oglebay Norton Co.
EDGAR B. SPEER (Hull#908) was launched May 8, 1980, at Lorain, Ohio, by American Ship Building Co. for Connecticut Bank & Trust Co. (U.S. Steel Corp., mgr.), after long delay because of labor strife.

FRED R. WHITE JR was christened May 8, 1979, named for Oglebay Norton's then vice-chairman of the board.

On May 8, 1979, the ASHLAND struck the north entry pier of the Duluth Ship Canal while outbound loaded. Thick ice blowing in from Lake Superior had interfered with her maneuverability. She dropped her anchor to lessen the impact but drifted over the flukes ripping a two by five foot hole in her bottom port side forward. She was inspected and repaired at the Duluth Port Terminal. One anchor was lost.

CHAMPLAIN's starboard side was damaged when she sideswiped the Swedish steamer BROLAND near the lower end of the St. Clair River cut-off, May 8, 1963.

May 8. 1936 – The Pere Marquette Railway Co. announced plans to construct a new $1 million ferry dock at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The 3-masted wooden schooner FRANK C. LEIGHTON was launched at 10:30 a.m. on 8 May 1875, at Dunford & Leighton's yard in Port Huron, eight months after work on her began. She was launched complete except for her mizzen mast, which was just about ready to go in position. She was named for Capt. Leighton's son. Her dimensions were 138 foot keel, 145 foot overall, 26 foot beam and 12 foot depth. She cost $20,000 and was owned by Dunford & Leighton.

The 254-foot wooden freighter AMAZON was launched at A. A. Turner's yard at Trenton, Michigan, on 8 May 1873.

On 08 May 1929, GEORGE W. PARKER wooden propeller sandsucker, 105 foot, 143 gross tons, built in 1903, at Marine City, Michigan by A. Anderson for Fishback Plaster Co., formerly a.) L. G. POWELL) was destroyed by fire and sank in the channel 6 miles south of Algonac, Michigan. Her crew escaped in the yawl.

1916: S.R. KIRBY was downbound in a Lake Superior storm when it was struck by two huge waves, broke its back and foundered. The composite hulled freighter sank quickly and only two of the 22 on board survived.

1918: The Norwegian freighter POLLUX came to the Great Lakes in 1907. It was torpedoed as b) DUX by U-54 about 7 miles northwest of Godrevy Lighthouse while carrying coal from Swansea, UK to LaRochelle, France.

1934: The hull of the first CANADOC was punctured when the ship went hard aground at St. Joseph's Island. The vessel was later freed, drydocked and repaired.

1938: JAMES B. FOOTE hit a dock at Chicago, under tow of the tug KANSAS, while loaded with corn for Sorel. The rudder, stock and a propeller blade were lost.

1942: The Hall Corp. canaller MONT LOUIS was torpedoed and sunk in the Caribbean by U-162 with the loss of 13 lives. Only 8 survived by clinging to the wreckage. The ship was carrying bauxite from Dutch Guiana to Trinidad when it was attacked and it sank so quickly that the lifeboats could not be launched. 1949: E.C. COLLINS and HENRY FORD II were in a collision in the St.Clair River.

1967 ELIN HOPE had been chartered to the Ontario Paper Company to carry newsprint from Baie Comeau to New York from 1950 to 1953. The ship came to the Great Lakes as b) PROCYON in 1961 and arrived at Madras, India, as c) KR ASHOK with the cargo of coal on fire on this date in 1967. The vessel settled on the bottom during firefighting operations. It was refloated May 19 and eventually scrapped at Madras in 1968.

1978: The third OUTARDE went aground in the St. Lawrence near Buoy 41-M and was not released until May 16. There was only minor damage to the ship.

[yachtsmanwilly]

Michigan's Congressional delegation urges Trump to follow through on Soo Locks fix

5/9 - Members of Michigan's Congressional delegation said they appreciated President Donald Trump's interest in upgrading the Soo Locks. Now, they want to make sure he follows through with continued support.

In a letter to the president dated May 4, all 13 sitting Michigan U.S. representatives joined more than 50 members of Congress to urge Trump to remain engaged on rebuilding and improving the Soo Locks. The representatives said they were committed to making headway in Congress on the project as well.

The letter was led by Michigan U.S. Reps. Paul Mitchell, R-Dryden, Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet and John Moolenaar, R-Midland and Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.

"We believe this project is consistent with your commitments to rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, and feel that the Soo Locks can be the crowning achievement for this effort," the letter reads.

Midwestern lawmakers have been calling for significant upgrades to the Soo Locks, located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, for decades. Those efforts recently got a signal boost when President Donald Trump said he supported revamping the decades-old structure during a rally in Macomb County.

M Live


5/9 - Mackinaw City, Mich. – The Unified Command announced that work on the remaining Consumers Energy cables was completed, Tuesday, and that the multi-agency response on the Straits of Mackinac has concluded.

Crews contracted by Consumers Energy capped the remaining two retired cables, which featured no free flowing fluid, and returned them to the bottom of the Straits where they were secured by concrete mats placed on top of the cables.

Last week, damaged ATC cables were secured with concrete mats after being capped and returned to the bottom of the Straits.

“Since the beginning of this response, the Unified Command, together with the many federal, state, local and tribal partners, worked diligently to mitigate any pollution threat to our Straits and precious wildlife, and to be transparent in our efforts, said Cmdr. Shaun Edwards, Incident Commander. “Although our mission is complete, we all remain committed to learning the cause this incident and doing our best to eliminate any threat of something like this happening again.”

During the response, the Coast Guard and other agencies continually surveyed the Straits from the water, the air and from the shoreline. There have been no reports of pollution or inured wildlife.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation by the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board. Results of the investigation will be made public once investigation has been completed.

USCG

The JOHN J BOLAND (Hull# 417) was launched May 9, 1953 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. for the American Steamship Co. making way for the keel of the DETROIT EDISON (2) to be laid. The BOLAND was renamed b.) SAGINAW in 1999.
On May 9, 1951 the CLIFFS VICTORY arrived at the South Chicago yard of the American Ship Building Co. completing her 37-day, 3,000 mile journey from Baltimore, Maryland. There her deck houses, stack, masts, deck machinery, rudder and propeller were installed and the floatation pontoons removed.

The ROBERT C. NORTON (2) was laid up on May 9, 1980 for the last time at the Hans Hansen Dock at Toledo, Ohio.

PETER REISS (Hull#522) was launched at Superior, Wisconsin by Superior Ship Building Co., on May 9, 1910 for the North American Steamship Co. (Reiss Coal Co.).

On 9 May 1864, AMAZON (2-mast wooden brig, 93 foot, 172 tons, built in 1837 at Port Huron, Michigan as a schooner) was carrying coal from Cleveland for Lake Superior when she went out of control in a storm just as she was leaving the St. Clair River for Lake Huron. She was driven ashore near Point Edward, Ontario and was broken up by the wave action. At the time of her loss, she was considered the oldest working schooner on the Lakes.

May 9, 1900: The carferry PERE MARQUETTE (15) began carferry service to Milwaukee for the Pere Marquette Railway.

On Friday night, 9 May 1873, the schooner CAPE HORN collided with the new iron propeller JAVA off Long Point on Lake Erie. The schooner sank quickly. The only life lost was that of the cook.

On 09 May 1872, the CUBA (iron propeller bulk freighter, 231 foot, 1526 gross tons) was launched at King Iron Works in Buffalo, New York for the Holt and Ensign Commercial Line. Innovations in her design included water-tight compartments for water ballast, 4 water-tight bulkheads that could be closed if the hull were damaged, and a new fluted signal lamp that could be seen for 13 miles. She was powered by two 350 HP engines. She was a very successful vessel and lasted until 1947 when she was scrapped. She was renamed b.) IONIC in 1906 and c.) MAPLEBRANCH in 1920. Converted to a tanker in 1935. Scrapped at Sorel, Quebec in 1946-7.

1906 – The schooner ARMENIA was wrecked in Lake Erie near Colchester Reef when it began leaking in a storm while under tow of the FRED PABST on the first trip of the season. The ore-laden barge was cut loose but all on board were saved. The wreck was later struck by the CHARLES B. PACKARD on September 16, 1906, leading to the latter's demise.

1926 – While backing from the NHB Elevator in Port Colborne, the JOHN P. REISS struck the A.D. MacBETH at the dock, damaging the latter's stem.

1964 – The small ferries JOHN A. McPHAIL and JAMES CURRAN broke loose while under tow of the G.W. ROGERS and sank in a storm off the mouth of Saginaw Bay. They were en-route to Kingston from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., for a new service to Wolfe Island.

1974 – The coastal freighter ST. PIERRE ran aground in the old Lachine Canal at Montreal, was holed, capsized and sank. The vessel was broken up on location later in the year.

2011 – The Erie, Pa.-based passenger excursion ship VICTORIAN PRINCESS sustained major fire damage when a welding torch ignited materials in the engine room. The ship was out of the water and on blocks for maintenance work when the blaze broke out. The vessel missed the 2011 season.

[yachtsmanwilly]

5/10 - Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. – Commander, Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie has concluded its domestic ice breaking operation known as Operation Taconite. With the ice throughout the Western Great Lakes nearly melted, ice breaking in support of commercial navigation is no longer required.

During the 145 days of the 2018 domestic ice-breaking season (15 Dec - 09 May), the 10 assets assigned to Operation Taconite delivered 3,179 hours of icebreaking to the benefit of 888 vessel transits: 386 of these transits required direct ice-breaking assistance. These same ice-breaking assets put forth an additional 3,588 hours of preventative icebreaking to establish and maintain tracks in the ice-choked waterways of Green Bay, the Straits of Mackinac, the St Marys River, Georgian Bay and the western Lake Superior Ports of Thunder Bay, Duluth, and Superior to name a few.

It is estimated that more than 17 million tons of dry bulk and liquid cargoes were shipped during the 145 days of this operational period. This translates to $623 million dollars of cargo critical to power generation, industrial productivity and public safety, moved during the harsh winter months of the 2017-18 domestic ice breaking season.

USCG


5/10 - Cleveland, Ohio – The coldest April since 1997 put a chill on the Great Lakes limestone trade. Shipments totaled just 1,254,226 net tons, a decrease of 23 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings trailed the month’s 5-year average by even more – 33.3 percent.

Loadings at U.S. ports totaled 1.1 million tons, a decrease of 19 percent. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 177,000 tons, a decrease of nearly 41 percent.

Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 1.5 million tons, a decrease of 12.8 percent. Shipments from U.S. ports total 1.3 million tons, a decrease of 7 percent. The year-to-date total for U.S. ports includes 17,664 tons loaded in February and 218,452 tons shipped in March.

No limestone moved from Canadian quarries during the first quarter, so the April total is also the year-to-date total for Canadian ports.

Lake Carriers’ Association


5/10 - The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says a telephone cord brushing a sensitive touch screen may have caused a fuel tanker to run aground near Cornwall, Ont. last spring.

The Damia Desgagnés ran aground between Iroquois, Ont., and Morrisburg, Ont., late June 15, 2017, after what was described at the time as an engine failure. No fuel spilled into the water and the ship suffered no damage in the incident. It was refloated June 17.

In a report released Wednesday, the TSB said the engine cut off after the main shutdown button was accidentally pressed. Investigators said the control system's touchscreen is highly sensitive and could have been accidentally activated by a telephone cord located next to it. What's more, the TSB said a message warning that the engine was about to shut down was confusing, and testing after the incident showed the shutdown couldn't have been reversed anyway.

"The message did not specify that the engine was about to shut down, nor did it indicate how the shutdown was activated or from where (bridge, engine room, emergency stop, etc.,)" the report said. The incident is a reminder to crews to get to know their vessel's controls, including any warning messages, the TSB said.

View photos at this link: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/tsb-tanker-grounding-st-lawrence-1.4654968


1923 –H.A. ROCK of the Forest City Steamship Co. went aground in Georgian Bay. The vessel was taken to drydock where the plates were removed, re-rolled and put back. The ship was idle May 18 to June 1 and the cost was $13,707.60.
Steamer COLUMBIA (Hull#148) was launched in 1902 by the Detroit Ship Building Co., Wyandotte, Michigan. The steamer was built for day excursions between Detroit and Bob-Lo Island. The vessel has been in lay-up since September 2, 1991 at Nicholson's Terminal.

On May 10, 1981, WILLIAM J. DELANCEY entered service for Interlake Steamship Co. She became the largest vessel on the Great Lakes at that time, and at least in the last 130 years, she has held the honor of being the largest vessel on the Great Lakes longer than any other vessel. Renamed b.) PAUL R TREGURTHA in 1990.

On 10 May 1858, LEMUEL CRAWFORD (3 mast wooden bark, 135 foot, 450 tons, built in 1855, at Black River, Ohio) was carrying wheat from Chicago to Buffalo. She ran into a heavy gale and went out of control near Pelee Passage and struck a reef 1-1/2 miles off East Sister Island in Lake Erie. She began to sink immediately and the 13 onboard scrambled up her masts and lashed themselves to her rigging. After two days, they were finally rescued by the tug R R ELIOTT out of Detroit.

May 10, 1922 - The ANN ARBOR NO 4 ran aground at Green Isle. She was released with no damage.

The first Welland Canal was opened between St. Catharine's and Lake Ontario on 10 May 1828. The first vessel to navigate this route was the schooner WELLAND CANAL. This was a new vessel having been launched at St. Catharines, Ontario on 24 April 1828.

On 10 May 1898, ISAAC LINCOLN (wooden propeller freighter, 134 foot, 376 gross tons) was launched at Anderson's yard in Marine City, Michigan for A. F. Price of Freemont, Michigan and Capt. Egbert of Port Huron, Michigan. She cost $40,000. She lasted until 1931, when she was abandoned.

[yachtsmanwilly]

On May 11, 1953, the HENRY STEINBRENNER went down in Lake Superior near Isle Royale with 17 of her 31 crewmembers. The storm followed an unseasonably warm and humid stretch of weather in northern Minnesota for that time of year, which fueled the storm's fast growth. The high temperature of 87 degrees set in Grand Marais, Minnesota on May 8, 1953, still stands as that town's all-time record high for the month of May, and it is just eight degrees shy of the town's all-time record for any month.
The 144 foot, 3-mast, wooden bark JESSE HOYT was launched at East Saginaw, Michigan, by Smith & Whitney on 11 May 1854. Later in her career, she was converted to a schooner and lasted until 1896, when she sank in Lake Michigan in a collision.

The A. WESTON (wooden steam barge, 164 foot, 511 gross tons) left Mount Clemens, Michigan on her maiden voyage on 11 May 1882. She was built by William Dulac. Her hull was painted black. She was powered by a single 28 inch x 32 inch engine and she was designed for the lumber trade. She was sold Canadian in 1909, and was renamed CONGERCOAL. She lasted until she burned to a total loss at Fair Haven, New York on 10 May 1917.

On 11 May 1886, OSSIFRAGE (wooden propeller passenger-package freight steamer, 123 foot, 383 gross tons) was launched by F. W. Wheeler & Co. (Hull #26) at West Bay City, Michigan. She was rebuilt a number of times and ended her days on salt water. While being towed in the Northumberland Strait in the Atlantic Ocean, she struck a shoal and foundered in September 1919.

1934 – KEYBAR ran aground above the Canadian Lock at Sault Ste. Marie and was stuck for 12 hours. Part of the cargo of grain was lightered before the ship floated free. The vessel was scrapped at Port Dalhousie in 1963.

1945 – MOYRA began Great Lakes trading in 1931. It was owned by the Government of Newfoundland when fire broke out in the St. Lawrence east of Quebec City on this date in 1945. The ship was beached off Ile d'Orleans and was heavily damaged. The vessel was rebuilt at Montreal and sold to Norwegian interests as b) HEIKA returning to the Great Lakes in 1953. It also visited as c) MARISCO in 1957 and foundered in the Gulf of Laconia, Greece, while en route from Varna, Bulgaria, to Genoa, Italy, with iron ore on October 20, 1959.

1974 – While outbound in the Cuyahoga River, a fire broke out aboard the GEORGE D. GOBLE. The Kinsman Lines bulk carrier was docked and the blaze was extinguished with about $2,500 in damage.

1987 – LONDON FUSILIER, an SD-14, was a year old when it first came through the Seaway in 1973. Fire broke out in #5 hold while unloading at Hamburg, West Germany, as c) HER LOONG on this date in 1987 resulting in extensive damage. The ship was towed to Valencia, Spain, in July 1987 and scrapped.

[yachtsmanwilly]

5/14 - Ludington, Mich. – The SS Badger began its 65th season Friday morning with less hoopla than some years, but with high expectations. The Badger sounded its whistle just before 9 a.m., and shortly after it was escorted out of harbor by the U.S. Coast Guard starting its 65th season of service.

Perhaps the biggest challenge Lake Michigan Carferry faced in getting the season off to a timely start was having its leased Manitowoc, Wis., dock repaired quickly after wave erosion washed out the dock during the weekend of April 14-15.

A little-less-than $800,000 grant from the State of Wisconsin and a pledge by the City of Manitowoc of up to $550,000 to get the repairs started and done enough for the Badger to dock today ensured the season started on time.

“The people in Manitowoc have done a nice job in quickly taking care of it,” Chuck Leonard, vice president of navigation, said Thursday afternoon, as the Badger did its shakedown cruise on Lake Michigan. He said finishing touches still have to be done at the repaired dock, but it is ready for service. The State of Wisconsin estimated costs to repair the city-owned dock at about $1 million.

Pat McCarthy, vice president of shore operations, said more than 100 passengers and 50 to 60 cars were expected to be onboard for the initial sailing of the season to Manitowoc. He said a similar number is expected for its return trip.

Ludington Daily News


5/12 - S. Manitou Island, Mich. – Great Lakes boat captains have always had a reputation for being a little salty. Maybe it's the rough seas or long hours at the helm. But not many skippers can say they've also been their island's midwife, its postmaster, and later a cook and baker catering to millionaires aboard a Lake Michigan carferry.

So in honor of Mother's Day - and the upcoming sailing season - we're tipping our caps to the memory of Florence Haas, the first licensed woman captain to pilot a passenger boat on the Great Lakes. Stories of her prowess on the water still linger in Northern Michigan's Leelanau area and offshore on South Manitou Island, where her namesake Florence Lake continues to draw visitors.

Vignettes that detail her life show she had a steady hand with her boat, a steely nerve when it came to reading a storm - and more than her share of salty sass.

Read more and view photos at this link: www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/05/great_lakes_first_woman_boat_c.html


5/12 - Buffalo, N.Y. – The Coast Guard is requesting that homeowners mark barrels that are being used to mark and weigh down docks for quick identification.

Painting or marking a large red “X” on the barrel allows Coast Guard crews to quickly identify it as a non-hazardous dock barrel and allow its origin and contents to be resolved without the need for further specialized investigation.

Within the Lake Ontario region, barrels are being used to mark and weigh down docks to increase the safety of the waterway by helping identify potential hazards posed by otherwise submerged or unseen docks. Unmarked and adrift barrels become a concern that the Coast Guard has to dedicate time, money and resources to recover.

Any questions can be answered via phone at the Sector Buffalo Command Center [phone].

USCG


5/12 - Sturgeon Bay, Wis. – A stiff wind filling the sails and the sun on his face made Ellsworth Peterson a happy man. There was nowhere that he was happier than sailing near his homeport of Sturgeon Bay.

Peterson, who died May 2 at the age of 94, was an icon of the city and its shipbuilding legacy. A native son, Peterson, when he retired, could have lived anywhere in the world. But he chose Sturgeon Bay, where he died in his home on the water facing Green Bay.

Peterson's father, Fred Peterson, founded the company that later became Peterson Building Inc. in 1933. Under Ellsworth Peterson's guidance, the national reputation of the company fostered and nurtured by his father grew to international fame. Peterson Building Inc. was regarded as one of the premier shipbuilding companies and a place where there was no project too small or too big for its crews of skilled craftsmen and shipbuilders to undertake.

While Ellsworth Peterson lived his life in the public eye and was equally at ease and comfortable with government officials, diplomats and international businessmen, he preferred the company of the workers at PBI and savored the moments with family aboard his treasured schooner, Utopia.

The success of PBI was a direct reflection of the extraordinarily talented workers in Door County, and her husband cherished and admired each person's contributions, Carla Peterson said.

Read more and view photos at this link: www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/door-co/news/2018/05/10/sturgeon-bayellsworth-peterson-82-shipbuilding-legacy/591944002


The CABOT (Hull#649) was launched May 12, 1965, at Lauzon, Quebec by Davie Shipbuilding Ltd., for Gulf Ports Steamship Co. Ltd. (Clarke Steamship Co. Ltd., mgr.). In 1983, the CABOT's stern was attached to the bow section of the NORTHERN VENTURE to create the CANADIAN EXPLORER.
The THOMAS WALTERS, American Shipbuilding, Lorain (Hull#390) entered service on May 12, 1911, with coal from Sandusky, Ohio to Duluth, Minnesota. Renamed b.) FRANK R. DENTON in 1952, she was scrapped at Ashtabula, Ohio in 1984.

The carferry GRAND HAVEN was sold to the West India Fruit & Steamship Co., Norfolk, Virginia on May 12, 1946, and was brought down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, Louisiana for reconditioning before reaching Port Everglades and the Port of Palm Beach, Florida.

On 12 May 1875, the scow-schooner SEA BIRD of Chicago was driven onto the beach a half-mile south of the harbor at Holland, Michigan by a Northeaster. After the storm, she was high and dry on the beach.

The wooden J.S. SEAVERNS stranded near Michipicoten Island on Lake Superior on 12 May 1884. She had been carrying passengers from Chicago to Port Arthur. She was pulled free by a tug, but then sank. She was formerly a steam barge, being built on the bottom of the side-wheel tug JOHN P. WARD in Saugatuck, Michigan in 1880. The WARD dated back to 1857, had burned in 1865, was then rebuilt as a schooner, and in 1880, was finally rebuilt as the SEAVERNS.

1975 – The tug TARA HILL was damaged by a fire set by vandals at New Orleans. This vessel had operated on the Great Lakes as NORTHERN, CHARLES R. RANDLE SR., HELEN HINDMAN, SUSAN HINDMAN and HERBERT A. Lloyds notes “continued existence in doubt” in 1997, but the hull was likely dismantled much earlier.

1978 – PHOTINIA ran aground off Milwaukee in rough seas and the crew was rescued. The ship was refloated but declared a total loss. It was towed to various Lake Michigan ports in the next two years and was eventually dismantled at Kewaunee, Wis., in 1981.

he tanker GEMINI (Hull#746) was launched at Orange, Texas by Levingston Ship Building Co. in 1978, for Cleveland Tankers Inc., a subsidiary of Ashland Oil. Renamed b.) ALGOSAR in 2005.
The tanker JUPITER made her maiden voyage May 13, 1976 from Smith's Bluff, Texas loaded with lube oil bound for Marcus Hooks, Penn. She was destroyed after exploding in the Saginaw River on September 16, 1990.

On May 13, 1913, Pittsburgh Steamship's THOMAS F. COLE collided with the barge IRON CITY on Lake St. Clair. The barge was cut in two.

Delivered May 13, 1943, THOMAS WILSON departed under the command of Captain Henry Borgen on her maiden voyage from Lorain, Ohio, bound for Duluth, Minnesota, to load iron ore.

The green-hulled schooner EMMA C. HUTCHINSON was launched at 4 p.m. on 13 May 1873, at the E. Fitzgerald yard in Port Huron. She was the largest vessel built at that yard up to that time. She was named for the wife of Mr. J. T. Hutchinson of Cleveland. Her dimensions were 195foot keel, 215 feet overall, 35 foot beam, 14 foot depth, 736 tons. She cost $55,000. Frank Leighton was her builder and Matthew Finn the master fitter. She was outfitted by Swan's Sons of Cleveland. Her painting was done by Ross & Doty of Port Huron.

On 13 May 1874, the Port Huron Times reported that someone had stolen the schooner ANNIE FAUGHT and that John Hoskins, the owner, was offering a reward for her recovery.

May 13, 1898 - The steamer JOHN ERICSSON, having in tow the barge ALEXANDER HOLLEY, bound down with ore, went aground while making the turn at the dark hole in little Mud Lake. She is on a sand bottom. Tugs and lighters have gone to release her. When the steamer grounded the barge ran into her, damaging the latter's bow and causing a large hole above the water line on the starboard side of the ERICSSON. Both were repaired temporarily.

On 13 May 1871, NORTHERNER (wooden barge, 220 foot, 1,391 gross tons) was launched by Capt. Wescott at Marine City, Michigan. Her master builder was John J. Hill. She was towed to Detroit to be fitted out and there was talk of eventually converting her to a passenger steamer. She remained a barge until 1880, when she was converted to a propeller freighter in Detroit. She lasted until 1892, when she burned at L'anse, Mich.

1914 – The package freight carrier CITY OF OTTAWA was upbound in the Cornwall Canal when it sheered over and struck the downbound S.N. PARENT on the port side at #2 hatch. The former was part of Canada Steamship Lines but was best known as the INDIA of the Anchor Line.

1915 – VALCARTIER and A.W. OSBORNE collided in Lake Huron above Corsica Shoal.

1933 – CALGARIAN, en route from Toronto to Montreal with automobiles and general cargo, stranded at Salmon Point in Lake Ontario, and was refloated two days later. 1943 – The caustic soda tanker DOLOMITE 4 was in and out of the Great Lakes via the New York State Barge Canal system. The vessel was torpedoed and sunk by U-176 off the north coast of Cuba on the date in 1943 as b) NICKELINER.

On 14 May 1881, CITY OF ROME (wooden propeller freighter, 268 foot, 1,908 gross tons) was launched by Thomas Quayle & Sons in Cleveland, Ohio. She was the largest vessel on the Lakes when she was launched. She lasted until 1914, when she burned near Ripley, New York on Lake Erie.

On May 14, 1959, the SHENANGO II and the HERBERT C. JACKSON both entered service. While the vessels have been fleet mates since 1967, the SHENANGO II was built by the Shenango Furnace Company. She operates today as the c.) HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR, renamed last spring.

On May 14, 1943, the THOMAS WILSON entered service as the first of the sixteen vessels in the "Maritime" class.

The HOCHELAGA's self-unloading boom was installed on the RICHARD REISS, which had lost her boom April 13, 1994, when it collapsed at Fairport, Ohio. The REISS’ replacement boom was installed on May 14, 1994 by Port Weller Drydocks Ltd.

BLACK HAWK (wooden schooner, 98 foot, 178 gross tons) was launched in East Saginaw, Michigan on 14 May 1861. Thomas A. Estes was her builder. She was active until abandoned in the Kinnickinnic River at Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1908. On 13 October 1913, she was filled with flammable material and burned off Milwaukee as a public spectacle for the Perry Centennial Celebration.

On May 14, 1905, the new Anchor Line passenger steamer JUNIATA made her maiden voyage from the yards of the American Shipbuilding Company in Cleveland, Ohio to Detroit, Michigan. Sailing under the command of Capt. Edward J. Martin she left Cleveland at 7:05 in the morning and arrived at Detroit shortly before 4. On board, in addition to several officials of the line was her designer, Frank E. Kirby. Detroiters were treated to the sight of seeing both the JUNIATA and TIONESTA together for the first time as TIONESTA was loading for Duluth, Minnesota when the JUNIATA arrived from Cleveland and tied up alongside her older sister. The JUNIATA later departed for Chicago where her furnishings were installed.

On 14 May 1861, COMET (wooden side-wheeler, 174 foot. 337 gross tons, built in 1848, at Portsmouth, Ontario) collided with the 2-mast wooden schooner EXCHANGE, ten miles off Nine-Mile Point on Lake Ontario. Then an explosion rocked the COMET and she was destroyed by fire 2 or 3 lives were lost, but the survivors reached Simcoe Island in a lifeboat.

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., May 14, 1900. - The tug W.A. ROOTH of the Great Lakes Towing company fleet was caught between the barge JOHN A. ROEBLING and the steamer HENRY C. FRICK in the American canal last night and sunk. The crew escaped without injury. The tug was towing the barge ROEBLING out of the canal and in some manner got between the ROEBLING and the big steamer FRICK. Her sides were crushed in and she went down immediately in twenty feet of water.

1917 – SAXONA and PENTECOST MITCHELL collided head-on in the St. Marys River near Detour and both ships sank with their bows locked together. The former was refloated and repaired as LAKETON while the latter was also salvaged and remained in the U.S. Steel fleet.

1921 – The barge MIZTEC broke loose of the steamer ZILLAH in a storm and sank with all hands in Lake Superior northeast of Vermilion Point.

1952 – JAMES NORRIS began her sailing career, loading a cargo of grain at Fort William.

1991 – The Yugoslavian bulk carrier MALINSKA ran aground off Main Duck Island, Lake Ontario, while outbound from the Great Lakes with a cargo of steel coils. It was lightered and released. The ship had been a Seaway trader since 1987 and now sails in the Algoma fleet as c) ALGOMA DISCOVERY.

[yachtsmanwilly]

5/15 - The Great Lakes water levels are above their long-term average May levels with all of them expected to rise — some with bigger spikes than others — into the summer.

Lake Superior is expected to rise four inches, Lake Michigan-Huron three inches, Lake St. Clair two inches and Lake Ontario one inch over the next 30 days, according to date from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Only Lake Erie is expected to stay at its current level, officials said.

Every lake except for Lake Ontario will experience higher levels than previously in 2017. Then in either August or September, the levels begin to their traditional decline into the fall and winter months, according to the Army Corps data.

The Army Corps estimates were released recently for estimated levels through October of this year. Lake levels have been rising with above average amounts since they hit bottom record-low levels in 2013.

The Army Corps works with Environment and Climate Change Canada to produce the six-month forecast of the Great Lakes water averages. With an increase in lake levels, experts say, come erosion of shorelines in some areas.

The Detroit News


On 15 May 1901, the GILCHRIST (Hull #603) (steel propeller freighter, 356 foot. 3,871 gross tons) was launched at the West Bay City Ship Building Co. in West Bay City, Michigan, for the Gilchrist Transportation Company of Cleveland, Ohio. She lasted until 1943, when she was sunk in a collision on Lake Superior.

The PHILIP R. CLARKE, first of the AAA class of vessel, began her maiden voyage from Lorain, Ohio, on this date in 1952.

After extensive renovation at Fraser Shipyard, the IRVIN L. CLYMER departed Superior, Wisconsin on May 15, 1981, and went to Duluth, Minnesota, to load 11,154 tons of taconite ore for Lorain, Ohio.

On May 15, 1971, the STONEFAX was sold and was scrapped at Santander, Spain.

On 15 May 1854, GARDEN CITY (wooden passenger/package side-wheeler, 218 foot, 657 tons, built in 1853, at Buffalo, New York) was sailing from Chicago to the Soo in a storm when she went on Martin Reef, west of Detour, Michigan, and was wrecked. Her passengers were picked up by the steamer QUEEN CITY.

May 15, 1992 -- The BADGER was rededicated and began a new career as a non-railroad carferry.

At 3:30 a.m., 15 May 1874, the tug TAWAS came along side of the schooner ZACH CHANDLER several miles off shore from Sand Beach, Michigan on Lake Huron. The boiler of the TAWAS exploded and she sank. Capt. Robinson, 2nd Engineer Dyson, Firemen Thomas Conners and James McIntyre, and Lookout Dennis Burrow were all on the tug and died in the explosion. The blast tore the CHANDLER's sails and rigging, and caused the death of one of her officers when he was struck on the head by a flying piece of debris. The CHANDLER drifted away in the heavy seas, but returned to pick up five survivors from the water. The TAWAS was built at Vicksburg, Michigan by Myron Williams in 1864. Her dimensions were 95-foot x 18-foot, 6-inches x 8-foot, 6-inches. She carried the two old engines from the tug BLISH, which when new were 11-1/2 inches x 20 inches, but having been bored out several times, were 15 inches x 20 inches at the time of the explosion. Her boiler was built by Mr. Turnbull of Corunna, Ontario.

1907 – SAXON ran aground near Caribou Island, Lake Superior, and dumped about 1,000 tons of ore overboard before being released. The ship went to the Atlantic in 1918 and was scrapped at Copenhagen, Denmark, as c) ANNE JENSEN in 1927.

1923 – PERE MARQUETTE 4 and PERE MARQUETTE 17 collided in fog off Milwaukee and the former sustained severe damage above the waterline and was laid up.

1929 – RALPH BUDD stranded at Saltese Point, near Eagle Harbor, Mich., and was abandoned to the underwriters. The grain-laden vessel was released by Reid and sold to Canadian interests. It was scrapped at Hamilton as b) L.A. McCORQUODALE of the Upper Lakes Shipping fleet in 1966.

1963 – LOBIVIA, WESTMOUNT and ROGERS CITY were in a three-way collision in the St. Clair River at Port Huron but there was only minor damage.

1967 – GOLDEN HIND was loaded with grain when it stranded off Cassidy Point, Lake Erie, and was holed in the forward compartment.

1968 – The stern cabins of HOMER D. WILLIAMS were damaged from a collision with WHEAT KING in the St. Marys River and this ship was repaired at Lorain. The latter vessel received bow damage that was repaired at Port Weller.

1972 – The Dutch freighter COLYTTO first came through the Seaway in 1963 and made 8 trips to the end of 1966. It was swept ashore by a typhoon near the mouth of the Limpopo River off the coast of Mozambique as b) CAPE NERITA on this date in 1972. All on board were rescued but the ship was abandoned on the beach as it was not feasible to dig the ship out by a canal. The nearest road was 25 miles away so the hull was not scrapped either.

1999 – The former sandsucker NIAGARA II was scuttled as an attraction to divers off Tobermory, ON.

[yachtsmanwilly]

5/16 - Toledo, Ohio – A long-simmering labor dispute between a local longshoremen's union and a Port of Toledo stevedore has led to three ocean freighters being waylaid at the Port of Toledo and a fourth boat being turned away – potentially costing the terminal tens of thousands of dollars a day in lost work.

Local 1982 of the International Longshoremen’s Association has been holding an informational picket outside Midwest Terminals of Toledo International since the company withdrew its recognition of the 32-member union early this year after saying it had received signatures from a majority of union members who no longer wished for union representation.

Local 1982 leadership has challenged the decertification to the National Labor Relations Board.

But as the dispute wears on, lake pilots have refused to cross Local 1982’s picket line — which at times has included a boat — to maneuver the freighters back to open water, keeping three oceangoing ships at the docks from being able to leave legally.

As of Tuesday, officials said three ships are effectively stuck in Toledo. One, the Federal Champlain, has been held for more than a week, and its arrival in Toledo also was delayed by about 14 hours earlier this month when the pilot then aboard refused to give instructions for docking with the picket boat present.

“For the most part the tug boats and the pilots, they honor the pickets,” said William Yockey, trustee of Local 1982. “That’s where the bottleneck has come from, from the members of the marine community sticking together with their longshoreman brothers.”

Officials at both Fednav, Ltd., which owns the Federal Champlain and another of the three ships currently stuck in Toledo, and Midwest Terminals declined to estimate how much the ship delays are costing the port or the ships’ owners. Union leadership has said each vessel is losing tens of thousands of dollars for each day it sits idle in port.

“Our vessels are being used as bargaining collateral by the parties involved,” Paul Pathy, Fednav’s president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. “We respectfully request that a peaceful and fair settlement be reached in order for our ships to be released from the terminal and end the shipping delays.”

The Lakes Pilots’ Association did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Local 1982 and Midwest have been at loggerheads over a labor contract for more than seven years — an impasse tinged by union allegations of racism on Midwest’s part.

Read more at this link


5/16 - Cleveland, Ohio - It's not your imagination; Lake Erie water levels are up. The recent wet spell pushed Lake Erie's water levels this week to 22 inches above the long-term normal for May. But the water is still 4 inches shy of the highest monthly average of the record for May, which is how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers keeps tabs on water levels.

Water levels are measured, and forecast, weekly for the Great Lakes. However, water level comparisons and official records are calculated monthly. For May 11, the last weekly update, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicted Lake Erie to reach 573.69 inches. That's right around the level this time last year, but is still short of the May record set in 1986.

Lake Ontario is 9 inches above the historical May average, while Lake Michigan-Huron is 17 inches and Lake Superior, 6 inches.

The historically high water levels are in part due in part to the region's wet April. Cleveland saw 4.38 inches of rain that month, over 20 percent more than normal. Since May 1, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has already seen seven days of rain accumulating a total over 2 inches. But temperature plays a part too, as when water warms it expands, raising the water line.

Over the past week, said the Army Corps, "temperatures were generally just above normal across the Great Lakes basin."

The Corps says Lake Erie is expected to remain at its current level over the next month, but Lake Superior, Lake Michigan-Huron, Lake St. Clair and Lake Ontario could rise 4, 3, 2 and 1 inches, respectively, over the next month.

Cleveland.com


5/16 - Two of the Great Lakes still have chunks of ice floating around on May 13, 2018. Lake Superior and Lake Huron both are reporting some ice still remaining.

On May 12, 2018, Lake Superior was still 1.23 percent covered with ice. Lake Huron also had a very small area of ice, registering 0.11 percent ice cover.

The amount of ice on Lake Superior now doesn't even come close to this time four years ago. On May 12, 2014, Lake Superior still had 22 percent ice cover. Lake Superior ice wasn't totally melted that year until June 6.

M Live


5/16 - Two meteotsunamis formed on Lake Michigan on one single day last month and thanks to a handy NOAA animation, we not only know that it happened but how they actually formed.

For those wondering exactly what a meteotsunami is, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines them as "large waves that scientists are just beginning to better understand."

Tsunamis are triggered by seismic activity while meteotsunamis are created through air-pressure changes and disturbances during "fast-moving" weather events. Some meteotsunamis have been recorded as high as 6-feet high, and have been spotted in the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, and off the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

Back on April 13 (Friday the 13th for those keeping track), NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory reports that thunderstorms created the duo of meteotsunamis. "Short, extreme bursts of wind and pressure" were said to be the specific cause that resulted in a sudden spike of water levels near Ludington.

Read more at this link


On 16 May 1894, the SHENANDOAH (wooden propeller freighter, 308 foot, 2,251 gross tons) was launched by J. Davidson (Hull #60) in West Bay City, Michigan. She lasted until 1924, when she was abandoned.
CANADIAN PROSPECTOR passed upbound in the Welland Canal May 16, 1979, with Labrador ore bound for Ashtabula, Ohio. This was her first trip after being reconstructed.

W. R. WOODFORD (Hull#626) was launched May 16, 1908, at West Bay City, Michigan by West Bay City Ship Building Co. for W. A. & M.A. Hawgood. Renamed b.) N.F. LEOPOLD 1911, and c.) E. J. BLOCK in 1943. She was scrapped at Port Colborne, Ontario, arriving in 1998.

IRVIN L. CLYMER departed Superior, Wisconsin, on May 15, 1981, and went to Duluth, Minnesota, to load 11,154 tons of taconite ore for Lorain. On May 16, 1981, having departed Duluth in 35 mph winds and 10-foot seas, the CLYMER began taking on water in her ballast tanks. She returned to Duluth, and was quickly repaired.

On May 16, 1972, in dense fog, the ROBERT HOBSON struck the Peerless Cement dock at Port Huron, Michigan when her bow was caught by the strong current at the mouth of the St. Clair River. Damage to the hull was estimated at to $100,000.

In 1985, the steamer PONTIAC was towed down the Welland Canal by the Mc Keil tugs GLENEVIS, ARGUE MARTIN and STORMONT bound for Quebec City. She would later be scrapped in Spain.

The tug B. W. ALDRICH burned at Ludington, Michigan, on 16 May 1874. The damage was estimated at $5,000 and she was rebuilt.

May 16, 1997 - The BADGER's planned first voyage of 1997 was delayed for one day because of a faulty boiler tube.

E. W. OGLEBAY (steel propeller bulk freighter, 375 foot. 3,666 gross tons) was launched at F. W. Wheeler's yard (Hull #114) at West Bay City, Michigan, on 16 May 1896. She lasted until she stranded on Shot Point, 10 miles east of Marquette, Michigan, on Lake Superior, during a heavy northeast gale and blizzard, on December 8, 1927. Shortly afterwards the hull was gutted by fire and declared a constructive total loss. The hull was removed, partially scrapped, and used as dock at Drummond Island, Michigan.

1905 – The second THOMAS W. PALMER, a composite bulk carrier, collided with HARVARD of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company off Stannard Rock, Lake Superior in dense fog and was nearly cut in two. The crew was able to walk to safety aboard HARVARD before their ship sank.

1919 – D.R. HANNA sank in Lake Huron 6 miles off Thunder Bay Light after a collision with the QUINCY A. SHAW. All hands were saved but the sinking of the grain laden 552-foot freighter was the largest insurance loss on the lakes to that time. The hull has been located upside down in 90 feet of water.

1941 – The Norwegian freighter REINUNGA began Great Lakes visits in 1926 and was forced to spend the winter of 1932-1933 at Dain City along the Welland Canal. The vessel, which dated from 1902, was bombed and sunk by German aircraft as d) KYTHERA at Suda Bay, Crete, on this date in 1941.

1962 – ARGENTEUIL, a former Canadian Coast Guard buoy tender, was rebuilt as a coastal freighter in 1961. It sank in the St. Lawrence near Lauzon, QC, with the loss of 3 lives on this date in 1962.

1975 – MANCHESTER RAPIDO provided a container shuttle service in the Seaway beginning in 1971, went aground off Pasajes, Spain, on March 15, 1975, and then sank. The hull was refloated May 16, 1975, for repairs and a return to service. 1987 – MARIA ANNA SCHULTE first came inland in 1958. It ran aground as e) LUCKY VIRGIN off San Andras Island, Colombia, while en route from Colon, Panama, to Aruba in 1974 and had to be abandoned as a total loss.

[yachtsmanwilly]

5/17 - Duluth, Minn. – Plans are being laid to move the museum ship William A. Irvin out of Minnesota Slip for the first time in more than three decades. But the retired laker will face a tight squeeze — with just 15 total inches to spare — as it passes between the abutments of a pedestrian lift bridge that spans the slip.

In spite of the Irvin's size — stretching 611 feet from stem to stern with a 30-foot beam — LeRoy Kolenda, a Fraser Shipyards foreman, expressed confidence the vessel can be successfully navigated into the harbor without damage to either it or the bridge. "The key will be to keep the ship under control at all times," he said, adding that wave action, currents and other marine traffic all will need to be closely monitored.

The Irvin is owned and operated as a floating museum by the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, an organization that has yet to fully sign off on the move. At a Tuesday afternoon meeting of the DECC Board of Directors, the president of that body, Roger Reinert, expressed concern about potentially causing harm to the recently upgraded bridge.

In 2017, Duluth invested about $3 million to overhaul and replace the lifting mechanism for the bridge, which had been plagued for years by breakdowns. In order to make room for the Irvin's transit, that new mechanism will be disengaged, and one side of the bridge will need to be manually pinned in more of an upright position than it can achieve when in operation.

Chad Scott, a principal partner of AMI Consulting Engineers, offered assurances that the process should result in no harm to the bridge and predicted it probably would be out of commission for a week at most.

If the ship isn't moved, the city could be denied $1.3 million in federal funding set aside to address pollution in the slip, said Jim Filby Williams, Duluth's director of public administration.

Filby Williams made a pitch to the DECC Board of Directors Tuesday, asking it for assistance and warning of potential project delays and further disruption without their cooperation.

Because of ongoing seawall repairs, the Irvin has been unable to welcome visitors this year. It currently sits idle at anchor in the slip.

Contracts for the cleanup work will need to be awarded shortly to keep the project on track said Crague Biglow, a Superfund supervisor for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. He said that work can occur only in the Irvin's absence.

The project involves leveling out contaminated sediments that have accumulated in the slip and then hauling in clean dredge materials to cap the pollution in place.

Relocating the Irvin will be a labor-intensive ordeal that could cost upward of $600,000.

Filby Williams laid out a proposal Tuesday, asking the DECC to cover half of the cost, up to a maximum of $300,000. He said the city would pick up the other half, as well as any unexpected cost overruns.vThe city also has offered to purchase insurance to cover any damage to the ship or bridge.

The Irvin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and plans to move it will require approval by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office.

If approved, plans call for the Irvin to leave Minnesota Slip in September, then moor temporarily on the harborside seawall in back of the DECC. It would reopen for visitors in time for Halloween, when it operates as a popular "haunted ship."

In November, the Irvin would be moved to Fraser Shipyards, where it would be placed in dry dock and repainted for first time in more than 30 years. Filby Williams noted that the ship is overdue for some work and pointed to a recent inspection that revealed portions of the hull had been pitted, leaving steel that was half its original thickness.

Filby Williams extended the city's offer to seek a $300,000 historic preservation grant to cover restoration costs incurred at Fraser, with the ship to return to Minnesota Slip in May.

The DECC's board unanimously passed a resolution of intent to partner with the city of Duluth, but a final, formal agreement still will need to be approved before the cleanup can progress.

Duluth News Tribune


5/17 - Cleveland, Ohio – The Coast Guard Ninth District will be supporting Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day on Friday.

The annual event, hosted by the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) serves as a fun, educational element just prior to National Safe Boating Week, May 19-25, the official launch of the 2018 Safe Boating Campaign. Educating the boating public about the safety and comfort of life jackets has been a main focus of the campaign.

U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in four out of every five recreational boating fatalities nationwide in 2016. In the Great Lakes, where lifejacket use was known, approximately 97% percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets versus the national average of 83%.

“Visiting the Great Lakes is a once in a lifetime experience; don’t let it be your last," said Mike Baron, recreational boating safety specialist for the Ninth Coast Guard District. "Always wear your life jacket.”

The National Safe Boating Council is asking all participants to take a picture of themselves in their life jacket while at work and post it to the Ready, Set, Wear It Facebook page or submit it directly to the NSBC at [e-mail]. Participants are also encouraged to tweet their picture using #RSWI2018.

Coast Guard members join boating professionals and outdoor enthusiasts to heighten awareness of different life jacket styles that are available, and demonstrate their comfort and versatility by wearing them to work.

USCG


On 17 May 1887, WILLIAM RUDOLPH (wooden propeller "rabbit,” 145 foot, 267 gross tons. built in 1880, at Mount Clemens, Michigan) was raised from Lake St. Clair. She sank in the fall of 1886. She was towed to the Wolverine Drydock in Port Huron, Michigan where she was repaired. She lasted until 1913, when she was beached as shore protection near Racine, Wisconsin.
ALTON C. DUSTIN (Hull#708) was launched May 17, 1913, at Lorain, Ohio by the American Ship Building Co. for Cleveland Steamship Co. (John Mitchell, mgr.) Renamed b.) J.A. CAMPBELL in 1915 and c.) BUCKEYE MONITOR in 1965. Sank on December 16, 1973, in position 43.3N x 30.15W, in Atlantic Ocean, while in tandem tow with ROBERT S. MCNAMARA and German tug SEETRANS I, bound for scrapping at Santander, Spain.

NORTHCLIFFE HALL collided with the Cuban salty CARLOS MANUEL DE CESPEDES in the St. Lawrence River above the Eisenhower Lock on May 17, 1980. Built in 1952, by Canadian Vickers as a,) FRANKCLIFFE HALL (Hull#255), renamed b.) NORTHCLIFFE HALL in 1959, and c.) ROLAND DESGAGNES in 1976, she sank after running aground on May 26, 1982, near Pointe aux Pic, Quebec.

E.G. GRACE arrived at Ramey's Bend May 17, 1984, in tow of the tugs GLENEVIS and GLENSIDE for scrapping.

On May 17, 1941, The Ludington Daily News reported that the former carferry PERE MARQUETTE 17, which had been purchased by the State of Michigan for use at the Straits of Mackinac, was to be renamed b.) CITY OF PETOSKEY. She was scrapped at Ashtabula, Ohio in 1961.

The schooner ST. ANDREWS was launched at A. Muir's shipyard on the Black River in Port Huron, Michigan on 17 May 1875. This was a rebuild job, but Mr. Muir stated that it was the most complete rebuild he ever undertook since there was only a portion of the keel and bottom left from the old hull. Her new dimensions were 135 foot keel x 30 feet x 14 feet, 425 tons (an increase of 102 tons).

At about 9 a.m., 17 May 1885, the tug E.T. CARRINGTON (wooden side-wheel tug, 76 foot, 57 gross tons, built in 1876, at Bangor, Michigan) was towing a raft of logs from L'Anse to Baraga, Michigan, when she caught fire and burned to the water's edge. The crew was rescued by the steam yacht EVA WADSWORTH. The CARRINGTON was later rebuilt and lasted until 1907.

1916 – ROCK FERRY, a wooden steamer, ran aground due to fog off Main Duck Island, Lake Ontario but was salvaged and repaired.

1924 – ORINOCO sank about 6 miles off Agawa Bay, Lake Superior, while upbound with coal. The wooden steamer had sought shelter behind Michipicoten Island while towing the barge CHIEFTAIN, but then tried to return to Whitefish Bay. ORINOCO began to leak under the stress and was lost.

1957 – The composite hulled steamer YANKCANUCK ran aground in mud at Whitby but was released in what proved to be her final season. She was laid up at Sault Ste. Marie at 1014 hours on June 27.

1969 – The tug COLINETTE sank in Toronto Bay after the hull was punctured while docking the freighter ATLANTIC HOPE at Pier 35. All on board were saved and the vessel was raised and repaired. It apparently survives as a private yacht named NOMADA.