1900: March 30, 1900, the carferry ANN ARBOR NO 2 grounded on the rocks east of the approach to the channel at Manistique, Michigan. She was pulled off quickly by the ANN ARBOR NO 3 and the tug GIFFORD. She was found to have bent a propeller shaft and broken rudder, resulting in a trip to the drydock at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1917: GERMANIC was the last wooden passenger ship built in Collingwood. It was completed there in 1899 and burned there, at the dock, on this date in 1917. The ship was part of Canada Steamship Lines at the time of loss. The hull settled on the bottom but was raised, towed towards Wasaga Beach, and run aground. The remains were torn apart for firewood during the Depression.
1940: The first THORDOC, a) J.A. McKEE, stranded at Winging Point, 10 miles southwest of Louisbourg, N.S., due to heavy fog. The ship was abandoned on April 1 and declared a total loss. This member of the Paterson fleet had been travelling in ballast and had been involved in Great Lakes trading since 1908.
1983: The tanker CHEMICAL MAR arrived at Brownsville, Texas on March 30, 1983, in tow of the tug FORT LIBERTE to be scrapped. Built in 1966, as a.) BIRK. In 1979, she was renamed b.) COASTAL TRANSPORT by Hall Corp. of Canada, but never came to the lakes. She was sold by Hall and was renamed c.) CHEMICAL MAR in 1981.
1985: March 30, 1985 – CITY OF MIDLAND’s departure was delayed when her anchor snagged one that she had lost in Pere Marquette Lake the previous summer.
2022: On March 30, 2022, MANISTEE arrived at Wharf 17 Marine Recycling Corp. in Port Colborne. She was towed from Toledo to MRC by tug BEVERLY M 1 and assisted by tugs VAC and JOHN D. to the scrap yard.
Built in 1943 at Great Lakes Engineering Works, River Rouge, Michigan, Manistee sailed originally as Richard J. Reiss. Her name was shortened to Richard when she was sold to the Erie Sand fleet in 1986. A sale to Grand River Navigation Co. in 2005 saw her name changed to Manistee. She went into permanent layup at Toledo in 2015.
2022: On March 30, 2022, Canfornav’s M/V CHESTNUT, in command of Captain Dorde Perovic, was awarded the Beaver Hat while alongside Redpath Sugar, Toronto. The 161-year-old tradition celebrates the official opening of the commercial shipping season by ‘crowning’ the first ocean-going ship to arrive PortsToronto with the antique top hat.
Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, “Ahoy & Farewell II” and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series.