Northern Venture officially underway

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news! Introducing the newest addition to our fleet: the Northern Venture! She’s fresh from an extensive refit and all set to embark on an incredible journey.

Currently en route to Japan where it will load a cargo of blast furnace slag bound for Picton, Ontario, the vessel will transit the Panama Canal on its way to Canada. She’ll be exclusively trading in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence corridor, and there is truly nothing quite like this vessel on the Lakes. Her name reflects the primary trading pattern in the northern Great Lakes, and notably, she’s the first self-unloader in our fleet.

McKeil Marine

 

Algoma Central Corporation celebrates 124th birthday

From reliable cargo transportation to an unwavering dedication towards our customers and the vital industries they serve worldwide, we’ve proudly been Your Marine Carrier of Choice for over a century.

We’re grateful for our incredible 124-year long journey – here’s to many more decades of working with amazing people, developing successful partnerships, and achieving our sustainable goals.

Happy 124th Birthday Algoma!

Algoma Central Corporation

 

Initial reports “substantially” overestimated Manitowoc spillage

MANISTEE — Original estimates of the amount of diesel fuel that spilled into Lake Michigan Aug. 2 from a damaged cargo vessel were too high, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday.

“There was nowhere near that 45,000 gallons,” Lt. Heather Stemmerman said. “It was substantially less.”

The reason the Coast Guard knows this is because they were able to transfer what Stemmerman characterized as a “good amount” of recovered red-dyed diesel fuel from the damaged Manitowoc onto another ship.

Stemmerman said she could not confirm yet the exact amount of fuel that spilled into the lake about 1.5 nautical miles offshore, northwest of where the Manistee River enters Lake Michigan. But the investigation is continuing to determine the cause of the hull breach on the vessel’s starboard diesel tank.

The 612-foot-long bulk carrier has a maximum spill potential of 45,174 gallons of diesel fuel, authorities have said.

When the crew reported the breach at 2:50 p.m. Aug. 2, as the vessel was starting to make headway out of its port and into Lake Michigan, a response plan was activated. That’s when they dropped anchor and called in a spill response organization, which transferred fuel from one tank to another. That drew down the level of the fuel in the leaking tank so that it was below the location of the hole in the hull.

As of midnight the following day, Stemmerman reported the vessel was no longer leaking diesel. On Aug. 4, after U.S. Coast Guard engineers and the American Bureau of Shipping approved the temporary epoxy repair on the vessel’s hull, the Manitowoc returned to port in Muskegon to undergo more extensive repairs.

Stemmerman confirmed the vessel had made it safely to Muskegon four days later without any additional spillage.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Lt. Cmdr. Chris Duffy said researchers are still looking into how diesel spills affect freshwater as compared to salt water.

“Because it was a lighter oil, we would expect it to evaporate within 12 hours,” Duffy said. “That’s why there was very little sheen.”

Within hours after the initial report, a red slick, 1.6 miles long by 200 meters wide, was seen drifting northeast from the vessel.

By Thursday, the size of the slick had spread to 2 nautical miles long by 3.5 nautical miles wide, according to responders, who used absorbent booms to clean up the diesel fuel on the water.

It will be difficult to determine what, if any, environmental impact will occur as a result of this spill, Duffy said. Water and fish species will need to be tested to find that out, he said.

As far as any immediate impact on wildlife, Stemmerman said the Coast Guard has received no reports from any state agencies regarding damage to the surrounding area.

Cleanup response efforts were directed and overseen by U.S. Coast Guard-established unified command, with representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard; the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; Manistee County Emergency Management; Benzie County Emergency Management; Little River Band of Ottawa Indians; Manistee and Benzie County Sheriff’s Offices; and the City of Manistee.

Their work concluded last Friday.

On Monday, the District Health Department #10 announced through spokesman Nick Eckhart that all beach advisories had been lifted.

Eckhart confirmed Thursday that they hadn’t received any reports of diesel fuel in or near the water since last week.

Record Eagle

 

Great Lakes water levels getting ready for seasonal lowering

All of the Great Lakes are higher than their long-term average water levels. The forecast shows the lakes are getting ready to start lowering as we head into fall.

The Great Lakes’ water levels have an annual cycle of rising and falling. Water levels start rising in March or April as the snow melts and spring rains becomes more numerous and heavier. The water levels rise to around July or August, reaching a high water mark. The water then typically lowers through fall and winter to do it all over again in March or April.

This is the usual cycle if precipitation is near normal. If it’s extremely dry or very wet, the ups and downs of the Great Lakes’ water levels may not follow this pattern.

None of the Great Lakes are currently situated at a very abnormal level. All of the Great Lakes are higher than their long-term averages. Lake Superior is 6 inches above normal, but still 7 inches lower than a record August level. Lake Superior is the closest to a record high water level, but not in a threat of climbing to record levels. Lakes Michigan and Lake Huron are only 4 inches above the August normal level. Essentially, Lakes Michigan and Huron are near normal. Lake Erie is 12 inches higher than normal and Lake Ontario is 10 inches above normal. Aside from Lake Superior being somewhat close to record high levels, Lakes Michigan-Huron, Erie and Ontario are 29 inches below record, 17 inches below record and 17 inches below record, respectively.

The Great Lakes are also all 2 to 4 feet higher than record low water levels for August.

When comparing to last year, Lake Superior is one inch higher. Lakes Michigan-Huron are 5 inches lower. Lake Erie is one inch higher. Lake Ontario is 12 inches higher.

The September forecast reflects the start of the annual decline of Great Lakes’ water levels. September rain amounts are typically lower than the heavy summer thunderstorm rains, and the evaporation is high with warm days and cooler nights.

Lake Superior is still forecasted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remain at about the same level. Lakes Michigan-Huron are projected to decline one inch. Lake Erie is projected to decline 5 inches and Lake Ontario 6 inches.

In all at the current time, the Great Lakes have just about normal water level conditions.

MLive

 

Obituary: Capt. Bill Cline

Capt. Bill Cline, formerly of the Port Huron, MI-area, passed away August 10 from complications of a surgery in Florida, his residence for the past several years.

He was active in the International Shipmasters’ Association and was a past Grand President and Past President of Port Huron Lodge #2. He was a captain for Gaelic Tugboat Co. and Diamond Jack’s River Tours in Detroit.

Bill and his wife MJ were essential in keeping Port Huron Lodge #2 active in the 1980s and building it to the healthy lodge it is today.  He was very active in all aspects of the Grand Lodge guiding the Grand Lodge installation ceremony and Jurisprudence Committee for many years. Always a gentleman and friendly to all, Bill was a huge part of the Great Lakes sailing community and well known and respected by everyone.  He will be missed by all of us who knew him.There is no information about funeral arrangements at this time but will be passed on once received.

ISMA Lodge 2

---

Tour the research vessel Blue Heron

Toledo, OH – On Sunday, August 20, the National Museum of the Great Lakes welcomes the largest U.S. Academic Research Fleet vessel on the Great Lakes, the R/V Blue Heron. Operated by the Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the R/V Blue Heron is well-equipped for research and has berthing for 11 crew and scientists. NMGL members and the general public will have a chance to climb aboard to tour the vessel and meet its crew and science personnel.

“This is an exciting event where we open up the vessel to the public and allow them to see, first-hand, what happens on a research vessel,” explained R/V Blue Heron Marine Superintendent Doug Ricketts. “The crew and science personnel are stationed around the vessel and talk to visitors, explaining their research project and the portion of the ship that the visitor has entered.” Ellen Kennedy, the museum’s Education and Visitor Experience Director said, “This is such a great opportunity for our members, lake enthusiasts, and anyone interested in marine research to learn about the important work done by the Large Lakes Observatory.”

Registration is required for this event. Research vessel entry is limited to 20 individuals at a time, so advanced registration is recommended. Day-of signups will only be available if space allows. NMGL members will be given priority boarding from 10 a.m.-noon. General admission will follow during regular museum hours from noon-5 p.m. FREE access to this special event is included for GLHS/NMGL members, Museums for All/SNAP participants, and those who purchase museum admission for the day of the program.

Click here to register for the event on Eventbrite.

National Museum of the Great Lakes

 

Great Lakes shipping continues to decline

LANSING — Shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway is continuing its long-term downturn, and changes in the region’s steel industry are largely responsible for the trend, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report.

Iron ore, limestone and coal are the three leading commodities by tonnage shipped on the lakes. They’re followed by salt — mostly Canadian rock salt to deice roads — asphalt and slag left over from extracting iron from ore.

Iron ore for steelmaking accounted for 42% of Great Lakes tonnage in 2020, the report said.

“Iron ore volumes show a steady decline, as steel is increasingly produced from scrap metal in mini-mills that are plentiful and scattered throughout the country,” according to the nonpartisan agency’s report. Scrap metal can easily be transported overland, so mini-mills don’t need to be near a waterway or iron ore mine.

The volume of asphalt, salt and gravel, slag iron and cement being shipped is holding steady, and sand and gravel volume is increasing, it said.

Most Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway traffic is on foreign-flagged ocean-going saltwater vessels, freshwater vessels crewed and owned by American companies, and Canadian freshwater vessels.

The maximum size of Great Lakes ships is limited by the dimensions of the locks they must pass through.

The Welland Canal locks between lakes Erie and Ontario can’t accommodate vessels more than 740 feet long by 78 feet wide. The maximum for ships traveling through the Soo locks between lakes Huron and Superior is 1,200 feet long and 110 feet wide.

As for slowing or reversing the decline in shipping, “there are limits to what we can do to stimulate market demand,” said Jim Weakley, the president of the Lake Carriers’ Association, which representsU.S.-flag vessel operators.

Even so, Weakley and the congressional report point to several positive developments, including more container shipping and construction of the first large U.S.-built self-propelled ship for use on the Great Lakes.

Weakley said U.S. and Canadian shipping companies have benefited from tariffs imposed on Chinese steel to combat that country’s dumping of its excess steel at prices below production costs.

The Army Corps of Engineers is constructing a new lock in Sault Ste. Marie. The agency said it completed the first phase of the project last August “under budget and ahead of schedule” and announced last month that it remains on schedule as major construction continues with phases 2 and 3 this season.

The Army Corps estimates that the 2nd phase will be done next summer and the 3rd phase will be finished in 2030.

Also, the Biden administration’s infrastructure funding law has boosted demand for limestone and cement used for constructure, he said.

But the switch by electric utility companies from coal to natural gas to renewable energy sources has slashed the volume of coal shipped on the Great Lakes.

“It’s hard to replace that many millions of tons of cargo with limestone or iron ore,” Weakley said.

Eric Peace, the association’s vice president, said ship operators and companies that depend on shipping, such as steel mills and iron ore mines, have been hurt in recent years by the Coast Guard’s insufficient ice breaker capacity. Some of those ice breakers are more than 40 years old.

In 2020, ice in Whitefish Bay — a critical point between Duluth and the Upper Great Lakes at one end and the Lower Great Lakes at the other end — idled vessels for three days or longer because of a shortage of ice breakers, he said.

An association report by Peace estimated blamed inadequate icebreaking in 2019 for $1 billion in losses and more than 5,000 lost jobs.

And despite last winter’s comparatively mild weather, a quick freeze left nine vessels stuck for a several days after Christmas in the Toledo-Monroe area of western Lake Erie.

Congress has authorized $350 million to build a new ice breaker, but it’s expected to appropriate only $75 million of that amount  for the upcoming fiscal year, he said.

It’s a lengthy process,” Peace said, noting that it will likely take 10 years to finish the vessel, although “we are looking to have that expedited with additional funding.”

Meanwhile, Pure Michigan, the state’s tourism promotion unit, touts cruising as a way to “experience the Fresh Coast,” urging, “Experience unique ports of call in Michigan and surrounding states and provinces as you cruise through the Great Lakes and discover thriving cities, grand landscapes filled with indigenous wildlife, rolling dunes and miles of white sandy beaches.”

The Congressional Research Service report cited a “nascent cruise business” on the lakes with an estimated 170,000 passenger visits on 11 ships this year. However, American Queen Voyages announced in June that it will discontinue its Great Lakes cruises later this year for financial reasons and will sell two of its ships, the Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator.

Peace said American Queen Voyages, unlike other cruise companies, has left its Great Lakes vessels idle in the winter.

“Those guys were not going to leave the lakes and not have a winter (cruise) season (elsewhere). I don’t see the other operators slowing down,” Peace said. He noted that other operators move their ships for use in warmer climates during the winter.

Bridge Michigan

---

Reserve now for MHSD’s Detroit River cruise September 9

Join members of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit aboard the passenger vessel DIAMOND QUEEN (captained by the MHSD’s very own Mike Nicholls and with MHSD member Ken Borg as narrator) for a Detroit River cruise 1-4 p.m. Saturday, September 9. We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic (going up the Rouge River is not an option this year due to delays incurred in 2022). Snacks and refreshments will be available on the boat.

Tickets are $28 ($30 at the dock if space is still available). Click here to order online via credit card or PayPal. By mail, send a check, payable to the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, to MHSD Cruise, 1020 Iroquois St., Detroit, MI 48214. Late orders will not be mailed; they will be held for you at the dock. We are limiting the number to 100 passengers so there will be plenty of room to move about the boat. Reserve now!

MHSD

---

You will soon be able to board the Boblo Boat again

DETROIT – You will soon be able to board the historic Boblo Boat once again, but it won’t actually take you to Boblo Island. Restoration has come a long way in the last year in an effort to turn the boat into a museum.

There are actually two Boblo Boats and both of them are being restored. MLive has been updating you over the years on the restoration efforts of both the S.S. Ste. Claire, built in 1910, and the S.S. Columbia, built in 1902.

The ferries, which could hold around 2,500 passengers, used to take people on an 18-mile cruise on the Detroit River to Boblo Island Amusement Park.

The Columbia is being restored in New York and will stay there for good, but the Ste. Claire is being brought back to its old glory at Riverside Marina in Detroit and the plan is to keep it in the area.

“We are currently working on getting the last deck complete,” Stephen Faraj, the restoration project manager wrote on Facebook. “Our plans are to have the entire fourth deck done by the end of September. The final addition will be the pilot house – either in the fall or spring. We have the original blueprints and will recreate it with the walkways that were on both sides of the pilot house.”

By next spring, Faraj says the museum will be complete on board the Ste. Claire’s main deck. It will feature dozens of artifacts and historical pieces collected over the years. There will also be a souvenir stand with new items available for purchase.

“We want to give people a chance to come down and walk the decks, reminisce, and see our plans for the future.”

The Ste. Claire’s restoration was almost derailed after fire significantly damaged the boat in 2018. The fire set the restoration team back by about a year.

“What was really lost was the irreplaceable pieces we won’t be able to bring back, but we know that we have enough of the boat preserved for it to still be the Boblo Boat and we’ll be able to recreate what was lost,” Faraj told MLive when we toured the boat a year ago.

He says one example is the boat’s 110-year old Mahogany walls. “It’s still going to look like it was with new Mahogany walls, but it’s not THAT wood. The bottom line is, all of that wood would have had to come down and been replaced regardless. It was just too rotted to keep up there.”

The restoration team plans to make the boat look as much like it did when it took people to and from the amusement park, located across from Amherstburg, Ontario, for decades before it closed in 1993.

The first deck will have that same gray, steel floor. The second deck will once again have a DJ booth and ballroom with dance floor. Deck three will have the beer garden where parents used to hang out while their kids ran around the boat. The boat simply won’t move. It will remain docked to keep it from being damaged.

Despite that, Faraj says visitors will still get to feel and see the engine just as they did when the boat took them to and from the island.

“If we were to try and re-power this ship with something other than steam, we would have to take so much of the Boblo Boat out of it, it wouldn’t be worth it. We’d rather preserve the original steam engine. We will run it on an electrical motor so it will spin and you’ll be able to look, just like you did as a kid, down into the engine room and see it move, but we feel it will be much more beneficial to preserve the original steam engine than to gut it and try to make the boat go up and down the river.”

And about the fourth deck. Way back when, passengers weren’t able to go on it. That will change once restoration is finished.

“The steel will allow us to have people on that level. That’s one thing you weren’t able to do back in the day. Now, you’ll be able to walk on the top level and go right up to the pilot house and look at it closely.”

Faraj says he hopes the millions of dollars spent and the countless hours it has taken to restore the Ste. Claire will not only allow people to relive a part of their childhood, but give those who never went to the amusement park a chance to experience what it was like to ride on the old ferry.

“It will be loaded with nostalgia from Boblo and you’ll really get a feeling of what people used to experience. That’s what we’re going for.”

MLive

 

A working Michigan lighthouse is for sale. The bidding started at just $10,000

A historic, 68-foot-tall lighthouse, in a remote part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is for sale.

But, before you start dreaming about turning the more than a century-old structure into a home — or a long- or short-term rental unit — consider that it’s small, about 1,000 square feet, and in a part of the state that, especially in the winter, could be challenging to get to and keep warm.

It’s also a working navigation aide maintained by the Coast Guard, marking the southern end of the Portage River in Houghton County.

“Generally, people who buy a lighthouse, buy it because they love lighthouses,” Paul Hughes, a public affairs officer in Boston, told the Free Press, adding that they are romantic properties to own. “It’s a true passion for them. They have the means and the wherewithal to restore them.”

Formally known as the Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light, the Torch Lake Township lighthouse is being auctioned off by the U.S. General Services Administration and is connected to an Army Corps of Engineers breakwater. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cost: $10,000 to $1 million

The deed comes with historic preservation restrictions, which, among other things, could limit how you paint, renovate, and make use of it.

Hughes said lighthouses tend to sell from about $10,000 to almost $1 million, and usually take thousands of dollars and more to restore and maintain. Some of them are in rough shape.

And in addition to the Michigan lighthouse, the government is selling three others: one in Ohio, the Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead; and two in Connecticut, the Penfield Reef in Fairfield, and the Stratford Shoal. Bidding for the Michigan lighthouse began Tuesday. Bidders must submit at least a $10,000 deposit.

Proceeds from the sale, Hughes said, usually go to the Coast Guard.

Michigan, with more than 3,200 miles of shoreline, boasts of having more lighthouses than any other state, nearly 130. The have been referred to as lakeshore sentinels, offering waypoints on water and markers on land, and come in all shapes and sizes. Some are short, others tall. Some tiny, others spacious.

No date has been set for the bidding to close; but similar auctions, officials said, often remain open for up to six weeks. After two days of bidding, there were just two with a high bid of $12,000, and bidding in increments of $1,000.

It’s about ‘preserving history’

Opened in 1919, the Keweenaw lighthouse is known by other names, the Portage Entry Light or the Portage Lake Lower Entry Light.

The Keweenaw lighthouse sits at the offshore end of a breakwater extending southward from shore, according to the historic preservation application. The structure includes a timber crib foundation and concrete pier that support a concrete one-story machine room and a three-story octagonal steel tower topped with a circular lantern.

The concrete portion of the lighthouse is unpainted. The steel tower and lantern are white. The lantern’s roof is red. The lantern gallery’s guard rail is black with a red handrail. And it signals a modern fog horn and a solar-powered white flash every six seconds.

“You can’t knock it down,” Hughes said. “This whole thing is about preserving the lighthouses. Preserving history.”

---

Boatnerd’s Soo live scanner back online

Where it began: Port Colborne historical museum celebrates 45 years of Canal Days

In 1979, the Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum held the very first Canal Days, a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first Welland Canal. More than 400 visitors across Niagara communities enjoyed the nautical-themed festival which featured exhibits, music, model boats – and an actor portraying William Hamilton Merritt, who was instrumental in the construction of the canal and its original general manager.

Its success turned Canal Days into an annual event, with people invited to step back in time and explore the heritage of the museum.

In subsequent years, the festival grew larger, becoming part of Port Colborne’s four-day civic holiday tradition where more than 300,000 arrived to experience the city and enjoy events around its downtown core.

But for the museum, each summer is a chance to remember how and where it all began. Thinking back to the 1979 festival, assistant curator Tami Nail wondered if they thought it would continue for another 45 years and “turn into a signature event that draws people from all over.”

“It’s this wonderful little town that has community feel and we have this heritage and we’re proud of it,” she said.

Both Saturday and Sunday the museum opened its doors, holding onto traditions that began back in 1979 while continuing to add and grow.

For the first time, Nail said it welcome HMS Psyche, their 19th century sailing reenactors on the Great Lakes, who brought their boat and camping equipment instead of just a booth. They also invited Strong Water Singers, a female Indigenous group who performed on the museum lawn.

Canal Days also saw the return of Blackthorn, its medieval reenactors as well as other “fan favourites” such as model boats, tea room and family activities – with the giant sandbox remaining atop choice – plus a dress-up section, prizes and many games.

“Its really when our historic village comes alive. We have spinners who ware there showing how the loom words, and we have our blacksmiths in the blacksmith shop,” said Nail.

On Saturday, the museum had a crowd before it opened its doors and over two days saw more than 6,000 visitors come through. Last year, there was about 3,500 to 4,000 people in total.

“Everyone seems really happy and we’re getting positive comments,” said Nail. “Just seems busy earlier and a lot more families are out this year too and all the bands brought in a big crows. I feel like people are more excited and happy to be out this year.”

From Port Colborne themselves, the Graves family come out to Canal Days each year. On Saturday, parents Jen and Steven were out-and-about with their four children, enjoying the carnival and the numerous activities across the grounds.

“It’s super fun with the kids and they learn a lot, especially my older ones but then it’s really inclusive for all ages,” said Jen, who added it is the environment that keeps them coming back.

Their two little girls, Brooke and Maddie, particularly enjoyed the dress-up bin, and their oldest son Steven said he noticed “a couple hundred years ago people liked to dress up very formal.”

Open throughout the year from May to December, the long weekend is a time to bring people from across the region, and beyond, to remember and honour the heritage of the Welland Canal and Port Colborne.

“People celebrate it and it’s without them realizing they’re celebrating it. But none of us would be here if it wasn’t for the lake and the canal,” said Nail. “It’s a way for us to celebrate the importance, the significance and the history of the canal.”

Niagara Falls Review

---

Petertoon made some waves on Lake Superior

The half truck, half pontoon boat called the Petertoon has been making an appearance on Lake Superior.

A creation of the Jeff Foster family, the vessel is always a talker.

Even on Friday, when we went for a short spin in the harbor, everyone was taking pictures. And that’s pretty normal.

“The first thing people do when we’re out on the lake, is turn their boat in our direction. Then they take the cell phones out. And finally, they ask us to honk the horn,” he grinned. And it is loud!

Foster told us he had a 28-foot pontoon that he was going to turn into a dock.

“The guy who runs the body shop at the truck company had seen a picture of something similar. And said we can do it better,” Foster said. “When they do something, they go above and beyond.”

WDIO

---

Lake Michigan diesel spill dissipates as damaged ship heads for repair

MANISTEE, MI — A sheen of diesel fuel spilled from a damaged Lake Michigan freighter has dissipated north of Manistee after a storm, says the U.S. Coast Guard.

The freighter Manitowoc, which spilled diesel fuel while leaving Manistee on Wednesday, left its two-day anchorage off Fifth Avenue Beach on Friday, Aug. 4 about 2 p.m.

The ship is headed to Muskegon for repairs.

A cause of the spill remains under investigation.

Lt. Heather Stemmerman said a two-mile sheen the Coast Guard was tracking near Onekama on Thursday was not visible from the air Friday. Shoreline teams have not seen any fuel on the beach. There have been no reports of injured wildlife.

The multi-agency unified command which has been coordinating the response remains on duty, but “I anticipate it won’t be much longer,” she said.

Company contractors were attempting to soak up the spilled fuel using sorbent boom but stopped Thursday after a storm rolled through northern Michigan.

“That also probably helped break up the sheen that was remaining,” Stemmerman said.

Marine diesel is denser and more oily than other refined petroleum-based fuels but does dissipate and evaporate when spilled on water. It can spread quickly in the wind.

The Coast Guard has not provided an official estimate on the total amount of dyed-red marine diesel fuel which leaked from the Manitowoc’s starboard tank on Wednesday.

The agency confirmed Thursday that the Manitowoc estimated it lost about 1,000 gallons out of a “maximum spill potential” of 45,174 gallons in tank capacity.

The actual spill volume is much lower, said Stemmerman. Specific estimates will be taken when the vessel docks.

Some news outlets have erroneously reported the ship spilled 45,000 gallons or more.

The spill was reported about 2:50 p.m. Wednesday. The Manitowoc was exiting the Manistee River channel after unloading coal in Filer City when the crew noticed the fuel gauges were increasing because the ship was taking on water.

The hull breach was plugged and the leak stopped Wednesday. The American Bureau of Shipping and the Coast Guard will oversee repairs in Muskegon.

As of 4 p.m. Friday, the District Health Department No. 10 had yet to rescind a skin contact advisory with Lake Michigan in Manistee County which had prompted closure of Fifth Avenue Beach.

The public should call (231) 723-6241 to report any diesel on the shoreline.

MLive

 

Cause of SS Badger’s apron issue still unknown

The long work to repair the apron for the SS Badger continues, but exactly what the cause of the counterweight collapse continues to be investigated, according to Chrissy Kadleck, director of communications and employee engagement for Interlake Maritime Services, the parent company to Lake Michigan Carferry and the Badger.

The steamship’s apron was damaged on July 21 when the counterweight structure on the port side of the ship was damaged. Contractors began working on repairs last week, which included underwater divers, marine construction contractors and an engineering firm. The damage, though, was so extensive that the company announced on Tuesday that the 2023 sailing season would come to a premature ending. It was originally scheduled to conclude Oct. 9. The ship also nearing the end of its overnight sailings, with those scheduled to conclude Sunday. Four shoreline cruises were also affected — two from Ludington and two from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the connecting port for the ship.

The apron system is inspected fairly often, Kadleck said.

“The system is inspected from time to time and was visually inspected just a few weeks earlier and found to be in apparent good condition,” she said.

The company does not know the estimated cost of the repairs of the apron system, but it will take several months to complete, Kadleck said.

“We are hopeful that all of the work can be completed in 2023, and we do not anticipate any impact on the 2024 sailing season,” she said.

Residents in Ludington might not see the SS Badger, its sister ship the SS Spartan or the former U.S. Army tug LT-805 move to accommodate the reconstruction of the apron, Kadleck said.

“We expect that repairs on the south side of the ramp can be made without moving the Badger or any of the other vessels,” she said. “We most likely not move the Badger to make repairs because the apron is being supported by the back of the ship. Should the structure on the north side of the ramp require work, the Badger may need to be moved.”

Kadleck would not comment on the number of passengers or commercial traffic that was scheduled to use the SS Badger for the remainder of the sailing season, nor the estimated cost to the company because of the refunds issued.

“As the remainder of the season has been canceled, commercial traffic will be impacted as it will have to find an alternate route to the other side of the lake,” she said. “All reservations will be fully refunded.”

Interlake is working to find positions for the seasonal help with the SS Badger elsewhere within the company, Kadleck said.

Ludington Daily News

---

Manitowoc’s diesel spill uncontained, sheen seen near Onekama

MANISTEE — What started as a diesel fuel spill in Manistee on Wednesday has spread to the Onekama area, according to area officials.

A hull breach of about 1 inch in the Manitowoc, a large freighter, off the coast of Manistee in Lake Michigan led to a “maximum” spill of about 45,174 gallons of diesel fuel, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

At a news conference at Coast Guard Station Manistee Thursday at 4 p.m., Sector Lake Michigan Commander Seth Parker clarified that the amount spilled is currently unknown.

He said the spill was still uncontained.

Efforts had been underway by a number of agencies working together to use sorbent booms and hard booms at the shoreline to protect sensitive coastal areas.

Parker said that as of Thursday, there had been no reports of diesel sheen on the shoreline.

The ship had a total of 45,174 gallons of red-dye diesel when it left port before arriving in Manistee.

The winds had pushed the sheen from Manistee to the northeast. The point where the sheen came closest to land was near Portage Lake.

Avoid contact

Thursday afternoon weather forecasts showed isolated rain showers and thunderstorms with southwest winds around 10 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather also halted some response efforts, but Parker said responders would resume containment efforts as soon as the weather permitted.

“We have teams that will be aggressively attacking the sheen and any other reports that we have from the shoreline and or offshore,” Parker said. “We do have the necessary resources on standby ready to respond once weather conditions (allow).”

Parker noted that the Manitowoc had a survey conducted in April and that it has not spilled diesel in the Great Lakes before.

He said response efforts also include the staging of absorbent booms being staged in the Portage Lake area.

Thursday, people were being advised by local agencies to avoid skin contact with surface water near Fifth Avenue Beach due to the diesel fuel spill.

The District Health Department #10 submitted an alert around 1:53 p.m. on Thursday.

“Residents are also advised to avoid body contact with surface any water along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Manistee County if they observe the presence of diesel fuel contamination,” part of the alert reads.

The health department also asked that people report all confirmed diesel fuel contact with the shoreline in Manistee County to 231-723-6241.

“Diesel is a potentially hazardous material that can present significant health impacts with prolonged exposure,” the health department news release states in part. “DHD#10 and local agencies are requesting that residents avoid areas that may have diesel contamination and to not attempt to rescue injured wildlife. Instead, residents are asked to report any confirmed sightings.

Parker said the vessel would not be moved until it has been cleaned and assessed.

Wednesday

According to an emailed news release issued at 12:25 a.m. Thursday from the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard personnel, along with state and local agencies responded to a report of the Manitowoc spilling diesel about 1.5 nautical miles offshore on Wednesday.

“At approximately 2:50 p.m. the 612-foot bulk carrier motor vessel Manitowoc reported a hull breach on its starboard diesel tank,” the release states in part. “At the time of the report, the vessel was at anchor 1.5 nautical miles offshore, northwest of where the Manistee River enters Lake Michigan.”

However, Grand River Navigation-Rand Logistics, Inc. which lists the Manitowoc as part of its fleet, states on its website that the ship is 630 feet long.

Grand River Navigation-Rand Logistics, Inc. is responsible for response plans for the spill.

The ship is no longer actively leaking.

As of 4:30 p.m. on Thursday it remained anchored off shore near Manistee.

A red slick was seen about 1.6 miles by 200 yards wide projecting to the northeast from the vessel within a few hours of the report.

The Manitowoc activated its response plan and a diesel spill removal organization was at the scene working to contain the spill, the release said.

“Internal diesel transfers lowered the level of diesel in the leaking tank below the hole, which has been plugged,”  the release noted. “In response to the diesel spill, a Unified Command has been established to oversee and direct cleanup response efforts.”

Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Grand River Navigation-Rand Logistics, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Manistee County Emergency Management, Benzie County Emergency Management, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee and Benzie County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Manistee will be working together in this effort.

“There is no known or expected impact to drinking water at this time. The cause of the diesel spill is still under investigation,” the release said.

In the early morning news release, the Coast Guard stated that there had been no known impact to beaches at that time.

“However, diesel is a hazardous material and can present significant health hazards, so the public is asked to stay away from areas that have diesel and do not attempt to rescue injured wildlife,” the release reads.

Anyone with a confirmed sighting of diesel reaching the shoreline is asked to call 231-723-6241.

Diesel fuel no longer leaking form Manitowoc

MANISTEE, Mich. — U.S. Coast Guard personnel, along with state and local agencies are responding Wednesday to a report of the motor vessel Manitowoc spilling diesel in Lake Michigan, approximately 1.5 nautical miles offshore of Manistee, Michigan.

At approximately 2:50 p.m. the 612’ bulk carrier motor vessel Manitowoc reported a hull breach on its starboard diesel tank. The maximum spill potential is 45,174 gallons of diesel.

At the time of the report, the vessel was at anchor 1.5 nautical miles offshore, northwest of where the Manistee River enters Lake Michigan. A red slick was observed approximately 1.6 miles by 200 yards wide projecting to the northeast from the vessel within a few hours of the report.

The motor vessel Manitowoc has activated their response plan and their diesel spill removal organization is on scene at this time working to contain the spill. The vessel is no longer leaking diesel. Internal diesel transfers lowered the level of diesel in the leaking tank below the hole, which has been plugged.

In response to the diesel spill, a Unified Command has been established to oversee and direct cleanup response efforts. Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, the responsible party, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Manistee County Emergency Management, Benzie County Emergency Management, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee and Benzie County Sheriff’s Offices, and the City of Manistee will be working together in this effort.

There has been no known impact to beaches at this time. However, diesel is a hazardous material and can present significant health hazards, so the public is asked to stay away from areas that have diesel and do not attempt to rescue injured wildlife. The public is asked to call (231) 723-6241 for any confirmed sighting of diesel reaching the shoreline.

There is no known or expected impact to drinking water at this time.

The cause of the diesel spill is still under investigation.

Updates will be provided via the Ninth Coast Guard District’s Twitter page: @USCGGreatLakes

Requests for additional information may be directed to Sector Lake Michigan’s Public Affairs Officer at (414) 405-6436.

U.S. Coast Guard

 

Ship leaking fuel near Manistee’s shore

MANISTEE — The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a report of the ship Manitowoc leaking diesel Wednesday evening fuel just off shore from the Fifth Avenue Beach in Manistee.

According to a post on Twitter from the USCG Great Lakes, crews from Manistee and Grand Haven are responding to the scene as well as a helicopter from Waukegan, Illinois. The Manitowoc is anchored near Manistee.

The Coast Guard stated that an absorbent boom was deployed to contain the fuel in the area. The damaged fuel tank was partially plugged to slow down the leaking fuel. A commercial salvage company was on its way to the site, the Coast Guard stated on Twitter Wednesday evening.

The Coast Guard asked the public from stay off of the Fifth Avenue Beach in Manistee because the wind conditions at that time were expected to take the spilled fuel to shore.

The Manitowoc is a 630-foot ship that is owned by Traverse City-based Grand River Navigation, a subsidiary of Rand Logistics of Williamsville, New York. It carries grain, iron ore, aggregates, salt and other bulk commodities, according to an information sheet on Rand’s website.

The ship carries coal into Manistee several times each shipping season. It weighed anchor from T.E.S. Manistee at about 12:45 p.m. Wednesday after delivering a load of coal, and passed slowly through the downtown area via the Manistee River and channel at about 1:30 p.m., before heading out to Lake Michigan where the leak was discovered.

After dropping anchor again for safety and precautionary reasons less than 2 miles from the Firth Avenue Beach, the ship sat idle facing south toward the Manistee Lighthouse it had passed only a few hours earlier. Less than two dozen people were on the beach at 7 p.m., laying in the sun and swimming, and unaware of the problems the ship was experiencing.

Ludington Daily News

 

An Aura of Romance: Local boat watchers follow their favourite vessels

There’s something about the river that draws the eye.

The way the sunlight shimmers against the waters. The way that blue expanse crouches against the horizon. The sound of the waves lapping against the shore. The way the smell of the lake reaches your nostrils when the wind is just right.

And yet, as Windsorites, we sometimes take for granted the majesty of living on the water. And we also sometimes neglect to notice all the different freighters and barges that drift down the Detroit River.

But many do take the time to notice these magnificent vessels.

And many, many more have even formed communities around charting their favourite ships.

One such superfan is Roger LeLievre, the Editor and Publisher of Know Your Ships: Guide to Boats & Boatwatching on the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway, a 63-year-old annual publication. The book provides essential stats on hundreds of freighters, including the owner, year, length, capacity and more. It also shares information on the materials these big boats carry, where they load and unload, all the different canals and waterways they travel down and what the different whistles mean.

“There’s maybe 150 assorted vessels supplemented by saltwater ships that sail down the seaway,” Roger LeLievre explains. “Tugboats. Barges. Tankers. Carriers. We get quite the traffic down the river!”

Roger has been a boat enthusiast all his life. He’s been a figurehead of the community for decades, sharing his knowledge with countless other fans.

“Since 1995, during the early days of the internet, a community sprang up on a website called boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/,” Roger states. “After a couple years, people started suggesting meeting up in person. So in 1998, we had our first gathering in Sault Ste. Marie. Over 150 people showed up! But the whole Boat Nerd community is much, much vaster than that.”

Another such member of the community is Mike Chase, the Owner of Windsor Aerial Drone Photography.

“I opened my photography business around three years ago,” Mike recalls. “I quickly branched out into taking photos of ships because I’m adjacent to the river in Amherstburg.”

Many of the photos Mike has taken have been featured in publications across the globe.

It wasn’t long before Mike realized how large and how passionate the boat watching community around Windsor and Essex County truly was. He joined several Facebook groups, including “Fans of the Book Know Your Ships,” “Ship Junkies – Lakes, Locks & Rivers” and “Great Lakes Shipping Channels.” Many of these groups are homes to upwards of 40,000 members.

“I had no idea these ships had such a following!” Mike states. “The water just seems to attract people. It’s so relaxing, sitting back and watching these barges sailing down the river. There’s even apps people use to track their favourite ships. You can get all kinds of information on them, such as where they’re going, how fast they’re travelling and their approximate arrival time.”

One such app, MarineTraffic Ship Tracker, has over millions of users.

“People can’t get enough of these big floating dump trucks!” Roger laughs. “They get so invested in the ships themselves and the people manning them. They find out the names of the crew, the company who owns it, the captain. Sometimes I like to call this NASCAR on the water, just slower.”

Every boat watcher, Roger explains, has their favourite ship. And each boat has its own Facebook page, where users can come together and share statistics and other information.

“Boat Nerds. Boat Geeks. Freighter Fans,” Roger states. “Some of us have been involved in the community for decades. I’ve been watching boats since I was 6 years old, and I’m 68 now!”

As well, the relative decline in the boating industry has led to fewer vessels setting sail in recent years. However, this has only led to boat sightings becoming even more sacred to fans.

“The less ships travel downriver, the more people come out in droves to see them,” Roger notes. “Folks find these freighters fascinating. They want to know where the boats are from, how big they are, who owns it. They want all those questions answered!”

That said, these big ships continue to serve a vital function—shipping materials from Windsor and Essex County to all kinds of distant shores.

“People don’t realize how much ship-traffic impacts the global economy,” Mike explains. “You sometimes see all these different ships from all over the world traveling down the water. They’re transporting things like yachts, wind turbines, fuel, oil, elevators. Even recently, back in February, we transported a 3,000-to-4,000-pound piece of steel that was loaded onto a vessel and sent down to South America.”

And yet, what truly draws the eye towards these freighters is the sheer scale of the vessels.

“There’s always been an aura of romance with ships,” Roger states. “I think people tap into that. But now, for me, the vessels have just become so familiar. It’s like seeing an old friend go by. I can think back and remember all the other times they traveled by.”

That said, an obsession with boats can present unique challenges.

“I’m such a geek that I have a ship-to-shore radio on 24/7,” Roger admits. “And my name is Roger, so it gets a little alarming when I keep hearing ‘Roger that!’ I think, ‘Why are all these people yelling at me?’ It sometimes wakes me up from a dead sleep!”

The boat watching community continues to draw a crowd. Members range from all ages and all backgrounds.

“It’s a great hobby,” Roger explains. “We have people from senior citizens all the way down to young kids. I get a number of messages around Christmas time from people saying, ‘Oh, my nine-year-old grandson or granddaughter can’t get enough of these boats!’”

Windsor Life

 

Cleveland-Cliffs making just as much steel without East Chicago blast furnace

Cleveland-Cliffs is making just as much steel as it did before indefinitely idling Blast Furnace No. 4 at Indiana Harbor West, ending more than a century of ironmaking at the former LTV steel mill in East Chicago.

Cleveland-Cliffs shipped 4.2 million tons of steel during the second quarter, Chairman, President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said in a conference call with investors.

“We matched the record high we set in the second quarter of 2021. At that time back in 2021, we were operating a total of eight blast furnaces,” he said in the conference call. “And now, in 2023, we operate only seven. If you’ll recall, we idled our Indiana Harbor No. 4 blast furnace at 2.1 million ton per year unit in 2022. So with one less major blast furnace in our footprint, we were able to accomplish the same levels of production and shipments.”

Cleveland-Cliffs said the smaller blast furnace footprint greatly reduced its carbon emissions.

“In our case, 32% less in five years, while maintaining the same level of production and the same product mix which is heavy in flat-rolled automotive steels,” he said. “We do not know of any other company, mini-mill or integrated in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia or anywhere else in the world that has achieved similar magnitude of reduction in CO2 emissions in such a short period of time. One of our key competitive advantages is having full control of our main raw material iron ore pellets from our mines in Michigan and Minnesota.”

The Times of Northwest Indiana 

 

Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Lighthouse up for auction

TORCH LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) – A Keweenaw lighthouse has gone up for auction.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced it is auctioning the Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Lighthouse in Torch Lake Township, Michigan. This is one of a record number of lighthouses being offered in 2023 to government agencies, nonprofits, and the public via auction.

Opened in 1919, the Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Lighthouse is located at the end of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers breakwater in Houghton County, Michigan.

• Marking the southern end of the Portage River, the lighthouse stands 68 feet tall.
• The light contains approximately 1,000 square feet of interior space.
• In 2014, the light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The property will remain an active aid to navigation.
• The deed will contain historic preservation covenants.

Auction Details:

• The auction will open on Aug. 1, 2023, at 2 p.m. CT.
• Those interested in bidding are required to register in advance and submit a $10,000 registration deposit.
• The starting bid will be $10,000 and bid increments will be $1,000.
• Site inspections will only be offered to registered bidders.
• Those interested in bidding are strongly urged to read the Invitation for Bids here.

The marketing and sales effort is being handled by GSA’s New England Region Real Property Utilization and Disposal Division.

TV6

---