Boatnerd News – March 22, 2023

Coast Guard vessels head to Lake Superior as Soo Locks opener nears

With the opening of the Soo Locks approaching, multiple Coast Guard vessels are headed to Lake Superior.

A Facebook post on Tuesday evening by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District stated, “U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Mackinaw and Katmai Bay are expected to lock through first thing tomorrow (March 22) morning. Coast Guard vessels will be busy opening tracks and harbors on Lake Superior to get the 2023 Navigation Season off to a great start,”.

Canadian Coast Guard’s Samuel Risley was anchored north of the Soo Locks off of Bay Mills, MI on Tuesday evening.

 

First ship of 2023 season arrives at Port of Green Bay

In a sign of spring, the first ship of the 2023 season has arrived.

The Port of Green Bay says the Algocanada arrived just before 9 a.m. Wednesday. It was only a day after Coast Guard icebreakers opened the shipping channel.

The Algocanada delivered petroleum products for U.S. Venture. It was the same ship that closed the previous shipping season in January.

“We are fortunate to be off to a fairly early start this shipping season,” port director Dean Haen said in a news release. “With the 2023 shipping season officially underway, we are cautiously optimistic that we’ll have another strong year of cargo movement.”

Those interested in viewing ships can watch from locations such as the Fox River Trail, the Green Bay Metro Boat Launch or other areas along the lower Fox River. The port’s website and Facebook page have information on ship arrivals.

FOX 11 News

 

Spliethoff vessel banned amid crackdown on ‘Poor Performers’

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has handed down a 90-day ban to a Netherlands-flagged ship as part of a crackdown on “poor performers” in the maritime industry.

AMSA detained the general cargo ship Flevogracht, operated by the Spliethoff Group, after the ship’s rescue boat engine was found to be defective.

AMSA had previously issued Spliethoff with two warning letters outlining concerns over the seaworthiness of their ships. This latest incident is part of a pattern of unacceptable performance from the operator, that poses a risk to the integrity of the ship, the safety of the crew, and the marine environment, AMSA said.

The latest marks AMSA’s fifth detention of Spliethoff ships in the past two years. Three of the detentions were related to serious failures to effectively implement Safety of Navigation processes and all occurred in Queensland waters, around the Great Barrier Reef.

On February 16, the Master of the Florijngracht was fined $6,000 for breaching compulsory pilotage laws after the ship illegally entered the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park without a marine pilot.

AMSA Executive Director of Operations Michael Drake said AMSA takes its responsibility as Australia’s maritime regulator very seriously.

“The fact that Spliethoff ships continue to be detained is evidence of their ongoing and repeated lack of concern for safety and environmental protection,” Drake said. “The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s great natural wonders, and we have an obligation to ensure that any ships entering its waters do so safely and in full compliance of the law.”

The ban of the Flevogracht comes just weeks after AMSA issued a 90-day ban to the MSC Kymea II, operated by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), over maintenance and safety-related deficiencies. The ban followed the detention of nine MSC-operated ships in the past two years, including five so far in 2023.

“Ship operators should be on notice that AMSA will not hesitate to take action when we find unacceptable practices on board ships,” Drake said.

Both vessels have traded on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.

gCaptain

 

Pere Marquette Rail Bridge catches fire amid start of demolition

PORT HURON, MI – The Pere Marquette Rail Bridge briefly caught fire Tuesday as workers were starting to demolish the nearly 100-year-old structure.

The Port Huron Fire Department was called at about 11 a.m. to the bridge, 212 Quay St. Fire Chief Corey Nicholson said the fire was likely caused by heat from torches or saws used during the demolition process, but the fire remains under investigation.

“We’re going to look at some mitigations as far as removing any combustible material that may be up there,” he said. “Hot work is anything from an open flame to a piece of equipment that would cause excessive heat from friction.”

Port Huron Yacht Club Commodore Tyson Connolly said the demolition crew and the yacht club are going to work through any setbacks caused by the fire. “It doesn’t appear like there is anything that will delay production,” he said.

However, Nicholson said a second look at the demolition plan may be needed to prevent firefighters from having to return. He forwarded further comment on the issue to city building officials.

In an email Tuesday, David Haynes, the city’s planning director, said, “Based on today’s event, work on the Pere Marquette Railroad Bridge will cease until a combustible materials removal plan and/or a fire protection plan is submitted in writing to the city of Port Huron.”

Nicholson said there were no injuries from the fire. Additionally, he said there is no hazard to the public.

The Pere Marquette Rail Bridge is located adjacent to the Port Huron Yacht Club. The bridge was completed in 1931 and provided rail access to business north of the Black River for decades. It was placed in its upright position and abandoned in 1975.

Times-Herald