The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026

Portion of former CNR ore dock trestle to be demolished

THUNDER BAY — Work starts this week on the demolition of a section of the former CNR iron ore dock trestle on Thunder Bay’s waterfront.
   Midcontinent Terminal, the local company that owns the property, says removing about 400 feet of the 1200-foot-long trestle will enable it to expand its capacity for handling project cargo including industrial plant components, steel products and other oversized shipments.
   “The trestle that’s sitting on the dock was designed for a very specific purpose, and that was for loading iron ore,” project manager Matej Rodela said Tuesday. “That structure basically acts as a wall, so we cannot receive big cargo ships. Taking it down will allow us to get these ships in and unload their cargo.”
   The decision to remove part of the 83-feet-high trestle was made after the terminal successfully conducted a series of vessel transloading operations that demonstrated strong market demand and confirmed the terminal’s readiness for expanded marine activity, Rodela said.
   Midcontinent Terminal, which also operates on the site of the former Northern Wood Preservers mill, expects to add about 10 new jobs to the existing workforce of approximately 20 to 25.
   “We are growing,” Rodela said. “We have about 400 to 500 railway cars of traffic a year, and now we’re looking to add vessels.”
   At present, the terminal handles multiple products such as chemicals for local industries and area mines, among other things.
   Rodela said the business has a good relationship with the Port of Thunder Bay, which operates Keefer Terminal.
   “We think of ourselves as added capacity to the port, and that this will just increase overall inbound cargo and production and economic benefits for the local economy.”
   The City of Thunder Bay’s Heritage Advisory Committee has listed the ore dock as a heritage property but has not formally designated it.
   The facility was built at the end of World War Two to transfer ore from the Steep Rock Mine at Atikokan from railway cars to ships that would carry the ore to steel mills in the east.

 [TBnewswatch]

Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade a Near Match to January 2025

Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 2 million tons in January, a near match to 2025. Loadings were below the month’s 5-year average by 14.5 percent.
   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. 
   Watch a recent Maritime Reporter TV interview with LCA’s Eric Peace to hear about latest Great Lakes shipping traffic and cargo trends:  [Click link to see and hear interview]   https://www.marinelink.com/videos/video/from-markets-to-mother-nature-lake-carriers-challenged-104198

Hanwha Ocean inks MOU with Ontario Shipyards

Written by Nick Blenkey

   Hanwha Ocean and Ontario Shipyards have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at accelerating the return of large-scale shipbuilding in Ontario and to strengthen Canada’s ability to deliver future naval programs.
   In parallel, Hanwha Ocean, Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College have entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) to establish an embedded shipbuilding training hub at Ontario Shipyards’ Hamilton, Ontario, facility, aligned with the sector’s long-term workforce requirements.
   “Our objective is not simply to transfer expertise, but to embed Hanwha Ocean’s advanced shipbuilding processes and operational know-how directly into Ontario Shipyard operations,” said Kim Hee-cheul, president and CEO, Hanwha Ocean. “By doing so, we are strengthening Canada’s domestic industrial base, supporting high-quality Canadian jobs, and ensuring long-term workforce readiness. This partnership reflects our commitment to building sustainable submarine construction and sustainment capacity in Canada, fully aligned with the objectives of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project.”
   “At its core, this partnership is about people,” said Shaun Padulo, president and CEO, Ontario Shipyards. “With Hanwha Ocean working alongside our teams and Mohawk College training the next generation in a live shipyard, we are building the Canadian workforce that will deliver and sustain Canadian ships for decades to come. That is how sovereign capacity is created. This partnership activates Ontario’s industrial strength in direct support of the National Shipbuilding Strategy and the future of the Royal Canadian Navy and creates meaningful long-term careers for Canadians.”
   “Mohawk College believes in the strength and power of industry-led learning,” said Paul Armstrong, president, Mohawk College. “By working alongside Hanwha Ocean and Ontario Shipyards, we are creating an environment where expertise, innovation, and education come together to support workforce development. This collaboration will strengthen advanced manufacturing and shipbuilding capability in Canada and help build the skilled talent required for long-term success in a rapidly evolving marine sector.”
   Together, the agreements establish a coordinated industrial and workforce development framework intended to position Ontario as a scalable centre of excellence for defense-related shipbuilding and advanced marine manufacturing in the Great Lakes region.

Memorandum of Understanding
   Under the bilateral MOU, Hanwha Ocean will provide structured technical and operational support to Ontario Shipyards to strengthen production readiness and shipyard performance.

The cooperation will focus on:
design and engineering
production planning and construction sequencing
quality management systems  advanced shipyard processes and smart-yard best practices
   These measures are intended to accelerate the re-establishment of large-scale vessel construction capability in Ontario, enhance production efficiency, and support long-term naval industrial readiness.
   As part of this cooperation, Hanwha Ocean will provide support to the design and construction for a training and recruitment vessel that Ontario Shipyards will begin building in 2026, serving as a practical demonstration of next-generation shipbuilding capability in the province.
   Subject to the award of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), Hanwha Ocean intends to pursue further strategic investment in Ontario, including the establishment of a dedicated shipbuilding training centre and expanded industrial cooperation with Ontario-based suppliers.

Letter of Intent
   The trilateral LOI between Hanwha Ocean, Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College establishes a structured pathway to address persistent shortages in skilled trades and technical professionals critical to shipbuilding.
The collaboration will focus on:
   establishing an integrated training hub embedded within Ontario Shipyards’ Hamilton Shipyard
developing industry-led credentials and specialized shipbuilding certifications
supporting apprenticeship and co-op pathways aligned with production requirements
exploring applied research in automation, robotics ad digital manufacturing

Under this framework:
   Mohawk College will lead academic programming across skilled trades and technology disciplines including welding, electrical, millwright, marine mechanics, robotics, logistics, and non-destructive evaluation..
   Ontario Shipyards will provide facilities and direct workforce integration aligned with its production and expansion plans.
   Hanwha Ocean will contribute technical advisory support and access to its global industrial networks to align training with international standards and operational best practices.
Strengthening Ontario’s role in Canada’s marine defense ecosystem
   By integrating industrial modernization with structured workforce development, the partnership aligns with Ontario’s advanced manufacturing strategy and Canada’s broader objective to strengthen sovereign defence industrial capability.
The coordinated framework is intended to:
generate and sustain high-quality skilled employment
expand Ontario-based marine and defence supply chains
increase participation of regional small and medium-sized enterprises
strengthen Canada’s domestic capacity to construct, maintain and sustain complex naval platforms
   Over the long term, the initiative is designed to position the Golden Horseshoe and the broader Great Lakes region as a nationally significant hub for advanced marine manufacturing and shipbuilding.

[Marinelog]

MORE WORK IS COMING TO THE LOCAL SHIPYARD

By Melissa Ebsch
   USNI News is reporting Shipyards here and in Mississippi will build the first new naval vessels under the Trump administration’s push to revamp military shipbuilding.
   Fincantieri Marinette Marine will join Bollinger Shipyards in constructing the Marine Corps’ Landing Ship Medium.
   Naval Sea Systems Command is asking for proposals for a vessel construction manager that will run the shipbuilding program that’s key to the Marine Corps’ island-hopping strategy in the Pacific.
   According to a Navy News Release “For initial production, the Navy will direct the to-be-named Vessel Construction Manager to manage LSM construction at two shipyards.
   “Bollinger Shipyards was awarded a contract to support Landing Ship Medium long lead time procurement and lead ship engineering design activities in September 2025.  The Navy says Fincantieri will build four ships,” “The VCM will then have the ability to decide the best strategy for awarding the remaining three ships authorized under the base contract.”
   The McClung-class Landing Ship Mediums will be based off of Dutch shipbuilder Damen’s LST-100 design.
   The Navy last year cancelled the Constellation-class frigate program that had been underway at Fincantieri Marinette Marine since 2020. The terms of the cancellation would allow the local shipyard to continue building the first two ships in the class already under construction but cancelled the next four.  Now, with the Landing Ship Medium program, Marinette has work to fill the void of those four cancelled frigates.  [Go To gallery below for diagram of landing craft they will be building]

“DoorDash but for ships”: Detroit’s mail service for ships is the same since 1874

By Molly Anderson, April Van Buren
   If you’ve driven by Lake St. Clair recently, you likely noticed the icy sheet covering its surface, stretching toward Canada. Perhaps you noticed a freighter or two, creeping along the horizon.
   These freighters cruise up and down the Detroit River, returning from or headed to the Great Lakes. But what happens when those freighters need something from the mainland? It turns out these boats utilize a unique mail service in Detroit that has been operating for more than 150 years.
   The service is offered by the J.W. Westcott Company, which delivers goods from the port of Detroit to the passing freighters via a bucket tied to a rope. Captain J.W. Westcott founded the operation in 1874.
   A new exhibit at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum offers a thorough glimpse into the history of the company and Captain Westcott’s integral role in Detroit’s maritime industry. Westcott himself grew up in a family that had ties to the Great Lakes and its maritime concerns — and at just 20 years old, he became its youngest captain.
   “He learns the ins and outs and a lot of the headaches involved with piloting, in his case, steamships on the Great Lakes. And so there comes a time when he decides to put one of his ideas into practice, and that’s taking orders to ships as they’re moving up and down the river” said Bill Pringle, curator for the J.W. Westcott Company exhibit currently at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.
   Westcott devised a plan to meet boats passing through the port with any mail intended for them. Someone onboard would simply lower a bucket to Westcott who would place the mail into the pail to be hauled up. In the same way, outgoing mail reports could be transferred from the boat to Westcott.
   His system was an important part of ensuring shipments weren’t slowed down. Unpredictable weather conditions and broken equipment could cause delays in scheduled shipments, and boats depended on telegrams from Lake Erie ports to Detroit briefing them on important information that might hinder their ability to do business.
   “These boats would stop in Detroit and anchor and send someone on shore to get the orders from the telegraph office. And, obviously, this was a pretty colossal break in their timeline,” explained Pringle.
   Time was money in shipping, and Captain Westcott was intent on eradicating this disruption in the ships’ journeys.
   “He partners with these shipping companies to gather the orders for where they’re going to be docking ahead of time,” according to Pringle. From there, he rowed himself out into the river to meet the passing steamships, threw them a rope, did his best to stay inside the boat as it got jerked up out of the water, and deposited telegrams into a pail which they hauled onboard.
   For a while, it was a one-man show.
   “In those early days, it was Captain Westcott by himself, 24/7,” Pringle said. “River traffic was day and night, so he basically only got time to rest at the dock in the rowboat where he napped in between needing to go out and take out orders to these boats.”
   Eventually, he hired other people to help run the mail business. The business would eventually acquire a mail contract, but not until the 1940s when Westcott became the sole agent of mail delivery on the Detroit River.
   As time went on and technology advanced, some of the J.W. Westcott Company’s communication services were not as imperative as they once were. But the company has remained a steadfast agent in adapting services like Amazon and DoorDash for passing sailors.
   “They advertise, ‘Hey, if your ship is passing by Detroit and you really want a Detroit style pizza or coney dogs, we’ll go get it for you,’” Pringle said.
   The exhibit, “Mail by the Pail: The J.W. Westcott Company,” is now open in the Robert M. Dossin Gallery and runs through August.

Now available for application! “Mate Tug Class 1” position for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers onboard the tug Demolen

   The job announcement is now open, please find the announcement information below.
   Click on the link below in this e-mail to apply. Also can be found at “usajobs.gov” website.  “DHA” for the general public and “Merit” for current or former federal employees.
   Please see the job announcement links below for XH-5782-11 Mate, Tug, Class 1 position within the Detroit District.  These announcements will be used to fill the vacancy at the Detroit Project Office on the Tug DEMOLEN.
               DUTIES:             

• Ensures vessel is prepared to sail at the scheduled time, is seaworthy, properly crewed and fitted to accomplished assigned mission.
• Serves as timekeeper for the crew members and assists the Master to evaluate the crew’s performance.
• Navigates the vessel during assigned watch.
• Observes weather conditions, forecasts, barometer, wind velocity, and other weather indicators to determine suitableness for operation.
• Works from plans or field notes showing location and extent of work to be performed in removing shoals from channel. Locates area and makes necessary arrangement for accomplishing work.
• Enforces safety regulations and instructs crew both on safety work procedures and work practices peculiar to floating plant.
• Assigns port watches for safety and security of vessel and creates the schedule and insures equitable assignment of these duties to employees.
• Sets port watch schedule for safety and security of vessel. Ensures equitable assignment/rotation of workers.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Conditions of employment
• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Must have a current U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Credential endorsements of: a Mate of Self-propelled vessels not including auxiliary sail of less than 500 gross register tons (GRT)upon Great Lakes and Inland Waters (or greater/equivalent).
• Must have a current U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Credential endorsements of: Master of towing vessels upon Great Lakes and inland waters (or equivalent).
• Must have a current U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Credential endorsements of: Radar Observer (Unlimited)
• This position is covered by the Civilian Drug Abuse Testing Program. Incumbent is required to sign a DA Form 5019-R. Individual must pass drug test.
• This position requires a pre-employment physical exam AND annual physical due to the physical requirement of the position.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state issued motor vehicle driver’s license.
• This position requires incumbent to obtain and maintain a First Aid Certification
• This position requires incumbent to wear safety equipment and/or use personal protective equipment (PPE) when needed.
• This position requires Temporary Duty Travel (TDY) up to 75% of duty time.
• Shift work is required during open-water (lake) towing operations.

OVERVIEW:
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates 02/17/2026 to 03/03/2026
Salary $47.96 to – $55.94 per day
Pay scale & grade XH 11
Location 001 vacancies in the following location: Detroit, MI
Remote job: No
Telework eligible: No
Travel Required: 75% or less – You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed: Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type: Permanent
Work schedule: Full-time – Seasonal
Service: Competitive
Promotion potential: None
Job family (Series): 5782 Ship Operating
Supervisory status: No
Security clearance: Not Required
Drug test: Yes
Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process: Suitability/Fitness
Financial disclosure: No
Bargaining unit status: Yes
Merit:
Open: 2/17/2026
Close 3/3/2026
Link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/857902000

DHA:
Open: 2/17/2026
Close 3/3/2026
Link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/857899800

Memories of sailing for the Ford fleet featured at GLMI dinner April 12

   The Great Lakes Maritime Institute presents its annual dinner at 2 p.m. April 12 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit. Featured speaker will be Greg Rudnick, who will talk about his time sailing on the Ford Motor Co. vessels Henry Ford II and Benson Ford. See the flyer posted in the gallery for details. Reservations required by March 31.
[You can see the billing for this in the gallery below]

Chance to win a trip on a lakes freighter