1875
The wooden lumber tug CYGNET, which worked on the Shiawassee and Bad Rivers and Lake Huron, was destroyed when her boiler exploded in “Blow-up Bayou” on the Shiawassee River.
1882
The wooden bulk freighter D.C. WHITNEY was launched at Langell’s shipyard in St. Clair, Michigan. Her dimensions were 229 feet by 40 feet by 15 feet, 1,090 gross tons.
1911
Efforts to beach the leaking wooden, coal-laden freighter RAPPAHANNOCK failed, and the ship sank off Jackfish Point, Lake Superior, after an unsuccessful battle with 75-mile-per-hour winds. All on board were saved.
1964
SUNNABRIS went aground while inbound at Alexandria, Egypt, on this date and was abandoned as a total loss. The hull was sold to Yugoslavian salvors and cut up for scrap where it was. The saltwater vessel, dating from 1929, made four trips through the Seaway in 1959 and returned as c) SEA FRIEND in 1961 and d) DEMOKRITOS in 1962.
1970
The bow section of the ROGER BLOUGH (Hull #900) was floated into the new American Ship Building Co. Lorain dry dock and was joined with the 421-foot stern section. The launch of the completed hull was scheduled for July 1971, but a fire broke out in the engine room on June 24, 1971, killing four yard workers and extensively damaging her Pielstick diesel engines. Extensive repairs, which included replacement of both engines, delayed the launch for nearly a year.
1983
CANADA MARQUIS was upbound at Detroit, Michigan, on her maiden voyage for Misener Holdings Ltd. She sails today as CSL’s e.) BIRCHGLEN.
A wedding was held aboard the BADGER. Chris Gebhart and Pat Sroka of Ludington were married by Rev. John Christensen.
1991
The 16-man crew of the ocean-going tug PACIFIC TIDE NO. 3 was arrested at Montreal on charges of smuggling drugs. The tug had arrived from the Philippines to tow the damaged Spanish vessel MILANOS to Spain.
YANKCANUCK (ii) went aground in the St. Marys River about 4 miles from DeTour. The ship was carrying a cargo of scrap steel for Chicago and was operating as a barge under tow of the ANGLIAN LADY. The vessel was lightered and released.
1994
GEORGE A. STINSON, downbound with a cargo of iron ore for Detroit, went aground in the St. Clair River but was refloated.
2005
Algoma Central Marine’s former ALGOCEN departed Montreal under tow of the tugs ATLANTIC OAK and ANDRE H. bound for Keasby, New Jersey. She was renamed b.) VALGOCEN and registered in Panama. She later sailed as J.W. SHELLEY and PHOENIX STAR.
Contributors & Sources
Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Lake Huron Lore Society, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit.
Compiled by Roger LeLievre.
