Coast Guard cutter Spar heading to work on Great Lakes
Lake Superior – More than a year after it arrived at the U.S. Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore for a scheduled maintenance overhaul to prep it for its Great Lakes assignment, the 225-foot cutter Spar is on its way to its new home port in Lake Superior.
The refurbished Spar is motoring to its new home in Duluth with its Great Lakes crew who previously worked on the cutter Alder, which for years crisscrossed Superior known as “The King of the Waters.” Last summer, the Alder’s crew drove that cutter from Duluth to Baltimore so it could undergo its own maintenance. When finished, the Alder will be assigned to the San Francisco area.
The Spar’s journey kicked off a few days ago, and the crew posted a timelapse video on its Facebook page to mark the occasion. Once it reaches the St. Lawrence Seaway, it will make its way through the Great Lakes until it reaches Duluth.
“Upon arriving in Duluth, Spar’s crew will assume Coast Guard Cutter Alder’s area of responsibility and continue maintaining aids to navigation, domestic icebreaking, search and rescue and law enforcement,” the Coast Guard said.
The Spar, originally commissioned in 2001, hails from Kodiak, Alaska. While there, the cutter’s former crew worked in the area of the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea until the fall of 2020.
Read more at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/03/new-us-coast-guard-cutter-heading-here-to-work-great-lakes.html
One heating boiler damaged in MS Chi-Cheemaun fire
Owen Sound, ON –The Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC) is confirming one of the two heating boilers was damaged by the fire on the MS Chi-Cheemaun. On March 12 at 2:20 a.m., the Thunder Bay Firefighters were called to 201 Shipyard Road for a fire inside the ship. No injuries were reported and no other machinery was negatively affected by the fire.
The OSTC says the cause of the fire remains under investigation and the vessel will undergo further examination and equipment testing, at which point the OSTC will provide additional details.
The Chi-Cheemaun’s regular sailing season is set to begin May 6th. Manager of Customer and Media Relations at OSTC Kaleena Sanford said, as of Monday there has been no move to cancel the start of the season, and in fact, reservations are being taken.
Bayshore Broadcasting
Capt. Roger Hewlett receives Lewis Ludington Award
Detroit, MI – On Sunday, Capt. Roger Hewlett received the Capt. Lewis Ludington Award for his distinguished career as a Great Lakes mariner. The presentation was at Mariners’ Church of Detroit during the annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony, and was done by Rev. Jeffrey Hubbard (Rector), Capt. Scott Reynolds (International Ship Masters Association, Detroit Lodge), and Jeremiah Ludington III, great -great-grandson of Lewis Ludington).
