Boatnerd News – April 13, 2023

Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade More than Doubles in March

CLEVELAND – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 1.3 million tons in March, more than double their volume of a year ago. Loadings also topped the month’s 5-year average by 10.6 percent.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 3.7 million tons, an increase of 53.5 percent compared to 2022. Iron ore shipments are 17.4 percent above their 5-year average for the first three months of the year.

Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually that are the foundation of American industry, infrastructure, and power: iron ore, stone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials such as grain, salt, and sand.  More information is available at www.lcaships.com.

LCA

 

Detroit expects record-breaking Great Lakes cruise season in 2023

A record number of cruises are expected to dock in Detroit this year as part of a growing Great Lakes cruise industry.

Last year, there were a record 52 cruise ships that docked in Detroit, and according to Cruise the Great Lakes and the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, there will be 67 cruise ships docking during the season.

Mark Schrupp, with the Port of Detroit, said the cruise ship season will kick off in May with the first ship docking in Detroit on May 1 – the Viking Octantis.

David Lorenz, the vice president of Travel Michigan, said Cruise the Great Lakes met in Montreal earlier this year to look at the ships that planned to sail the Great Lakes this year. According to Lorenz, they have all the ships they had last year, and a new ship – the Hanseatic Inspiration.

The ships have a variety of routes on the Great Lakes with stops in Michigan including Detroit, Mackinac Island, Muskegon, Sault Ste. Marie and more.

When they stop in Detroit, the team from Visit Detroit works with the Port Authority to provide a welcome for passengers on the dock.

Passengers from the cruises have a variety of options to explore metro Detroit while they’re in the area, with locations like The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, the Motown Museum and more.

“Most people from all around the U.S., places like Texas and California, they’ve heard about places like Michigan, but they might not know the real story about pure Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes region. So when they come here, they get this two-nation destination experience pretty unique,” Lorenz said. “They get to see that people in our region are really friendly and they see this freshwater experience, which not many cruisers around the world really get to see.”

The cruise industry doesn’t just benefit Michigan and Detroit – it also helps other cities along the Great Lakes like Cleveland and Milwaukee.

According to the Port of Detroit, the cruise ships will continue to dock in the city throughout the summer and last until mid-October.

In all, there will be nine cruises in May, nine in June, 12 in July, 15 in August, 17 in September and five in October. That doesn’t include the dinner cruises along the river that use the Port of Detroit.

According to Lorenz, the future of cruising on the Great Lakes is bright, and he thinks the initial visit to Detroit will bring people back.

He also said they’re hoping to lure some ships to start and stop their journeys in Detroit in the future.

“I think what you’re going to find is that the Port of Detroit is going to continue to make accommodations so that they can lure additional ships, including some of these bigger ships like the Hanseatic Inspiration,” he said. “You’re going to be able to see more and more ships here. And I tell you, we’re going to all benefit from that initial visit because people are going to be able to see Detroit.”

WXYZ news

 

3 Ships Sunk, 28 Lives Lost on November 18th, 1914

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) along with Marine Sonic Technology, is thrilled to announce the discovery of two vessels that sank in Lake Superior on November 18th, 1914.

November 18th, 1914, the Steamship C.F. Curtis was towing the schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson from Baraga, Michigan (Lake Superior) to Tonawanda, New York, all with a load of lumber. The three ships soon found themselves battling through howling winds, snow squalls and punishing waves. Sadly, the Curtis, Marvin, and Peterson were never seen again. Not one person from the trio survived, 28 lives were lost that day.

In 2021 GLSHS located 9 lost vessels including the C.F. Curtis. This discovery was a huge highlight for the team that summer. This ship that went missing over 100 years ago, was only a piece of the puzzle though…what about the Marvin and the Peterson? One year later in the summer of 2022, after a lot of work and a hint of luck, the crew in the Shipwreck Society’s research vessel, David Boyd, came across another shipwreck within a few miles of the Curtis. After putting the organization’s ROV on the wreck it soon became apparent that the Marvin had been located!

Finding the Curtis and the Marvin are significant historic discoveries in American history as they were all part of the Hines Lumber industry, one of the biggest lumber companies of that era. On November 18th, 1914, they lost almost one quarter of their fleet in one horrific storm.

When the GLSHS first saw the name Selden E. Marvin is an event that can never be reproduced. The raw emotion and joy of a new find is intense, and we had cameras rolling capturing our excitement!

“It was a career highlight to have witnessed the discovery of the Marvin” GLSHS board member and maritime historian, Ric Mixter, said “as it not only solved a chapter in the nation’s darkest day in lumber history, but also showcased a team of historians who have dedicated their lives towards making sure these stories aren’t forgotten.”

“The combined losses of the C.F. Curtis, Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson have comprised one of the more tragic stories of shipwreck on the Great Lakes and certainly became one of the Lake Superior’s enduring mysteries. Executive Director, Bruce Lynn, of the GLSHS said, “To locate the Curtis and Marvin in a space of two years has been amazing…now we just have to find the Peterson!”

The GLSHS is searching for the Peterson!

“It’s one of our goals to find the Peterson, Director of Marine Operations for the GLSHS, Darryl Ertel said, “it would be great to know where all 3 wrecks are lying on the bottom of Superior, and finally be able to tell the stories of the Curtis, Marvin and Peterson.”

This moment of maritime history and discovery will be showcased in the video we have on our website www.shipwreckmuseum.com and other streaming sites.

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum