Roger Blough tow making slow progress

At 9 a.m. Saturday, the Roger Blough tow was making 4.8 knots in tow of the tugs Meredith Ashton and Candice Elise.  Their location was north of East Tawas. This speed gives it a current ETA at the Blue Water Bridges of between 7:15 and 7:30 am Sunday. Destination is Conneaut, Ohio.

 

Lost Mariners Remembrance Thursday, November 10

 DETROIT, MI – The 23rd annual Lost Mariners Remembrance will be held at 6 pm at Dossin Great Lakes Museum, 100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle, Detroit, MI. The event begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald anchor, followed by the live Honor Guard escort of a memorial wreath to the Detroit River for receipt by an Honor Flotilla of Great Lakes vessels. A performance by Lee Murdock, Great Lakes balladeer, will follow the wreath ceremony. In this year’s historical presentation, scholar and author Mike Nagle will recount the story of the SS Atlantic, a passenger ship headed to New York City from Liverpool, England, but never made it to its final desti nation.

The event will be broadcast online. See https://detroithistorical.org./ for more information.

 

2 Great Lakes ports get infrastructure grants

WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced more than $703 million to fund 41 projects in 22 states and one territory that will improve port facilities through the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program.

The funding, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and additional Congressional appropriations, will benefit coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports.

“So many of the goods we all count on, from appliances to furniture to clothes, move through our nation’s ports on their way to us,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “Using funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this year we’re awarding record levels of funding to improve our port infrastructure, strengthen our supply chains, and help cut costs for American families.”

Great Lakes grants include:
Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority ($27,223,711)
Cleveland, Ohio 
The project consists of both development phase (planning, permitting, engineering, and design) and construction activities at the Port of Cleveland. It will modernize a 144,000-square-foot warehouse (Warehouse A); expand stormwater collection and treatment infrastructure; construct a modernized maintenance and repowering facility for terminal equipment; and install electric infrastructure to meet the power requirements of ship cold ironing and electrified cargo handling

Port of Green Bay Site Development Project ($10,134,800) 
Green Bay, Wisconsin
The project funds the first phase of redevelopment of a former power plant site into a new port terminal. The project includes the following components: engineering services; clearing and clean-up of the existing brownfield site; construction of new dock walls and bulkheads; dredging; placement of fill behind dock wall and bulkheads; construction of stormwater collection and treatment facilities; installation of bollards and crane pads; asphalt resurfacing; new roads and utilities; truck scales; construction of an office building; and repair and extension of a rail spur with installation of three switches.

 

 

Historic load: Mark W. Barker takes on steel bars at Monroe

A historic first load of special bar quality (SBQ) steel in the M/V Mark W. Barker, our 639-foot new build in her maiden season sailing on the Great Lakes. The steel bars were loaded overnight at the Port of Monroe, Michigan’s only port on Lake Erie.

Thanks to her large, innovative MacGregor hatch openings and flat-bottomed cargo hold, the Mark W. Barker is the ideal vessel to carry this SBQ steel manufactured at Gerdau Special Steel’s Monroe Mill.

“This is a wonderful partnership that gives a clear understanding of the benefits of the M/V Mark W. Barker’s design to go beyond the traditional free-flowing cargoes we have historically focused on,” says Brendan P. O’Connor, our Vice President of Marketing and Marine Traffic.

O’Connor pointed to the tremendous efforts of Port of Monroe Director Paul LaMarre III, terminal operator DRM and Fraser Shipyards to facilitate this successful commerce.

“This is a perfect example of how Interlake is able to expand and grow into other markets and commodities with such a versatile new asset in our U.S. flag fleet,” he says.

The cargo will be unloaded at Superior, Wis., and ultimately delivered to Gerdau’s grinding ball mill in the Twin Ports. The bars will be melted down into grinding balls that are used in the mining industry, ensuring consistent production of iron ore (taconite pellets) that our commercial fleet delivers to steel mills throughout the region.

Interlake Steamship Co.

 

Peters Announces $11 Million in Federal Funding for Port of Monroe

DETROIT – U.S. Senator Gary Peters today announced that the Port of Monroe has been awarded $11,051,586 through the Port Infrastructure Development Program, funding that will be critical for strengthening and expanding the Port’s capabilities. The grant was awarded by the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Peters supported the Port’s application for this federal funding.

“The Port of Monroe is not only a critical resource for manufacturers in Michigan and across the Great Lakes region, but it also plays a crucial role in ensuring efficient trade and transport of products that families and businesses rely on every day,” said Senator Peters, Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports. “I was pleased to support the Port’s effort to secure this funding, which will expand cargo capacity, increase economic activity for the region and strengthen supply chains. I’ll keep fighting to make sure the Port is treated fairly, has the resources necessary to compete on a level playing field and reaches its full potential.”

“There are but a few rare moments in a Port’s history which can be considered monumental. This grant award represents the single largest investment in the Port of Monroe’s infrastructure since the organization’s creation in 1932 and will have profound effects on the sustainability and enhancement of our maritime infrastructure which supports the Port of Monroe’s continued growth as a regional hub for both domestic and international renewable energy cargoes,” said Paul LaMarre, Port Director of the Port of Monroe. “Senator Peters is the Port of Monroe’s champion. His unequivocal support for the Great Lakes maritime industry and Michigan’s role as the ‘Great Lakes State’ is second to none. His support of this grant and our continued efforts is humbly appreciated and will have far reaching effects on our Port’s future.”

The Port of Monroe Project award will go toward its Lake Erie Renewable Energy Resilience Project, funding four components: riverfront work, turning basin work, maritime readiness slip construction and shore power infrastructure.

Component 1—Riverfront work will include replacing the surface of the existing wharf, constructing a second riverfront wharf to be used exclusively for vessel transfer of wind energy cargos, and reinforcing shoreline stabilization;

Component 2—Turning Basin work will include rehabilitating the concrete dock cap, bollard and fender installation, and replacing roughly 390 feet of failed sheet pile;

Component 3—Small Boat “Maritime Readiness Slip” construction will include demolishing and rehabilitating an existing small boat slip to be used by harbor assist vessels; and

Component 4—Shore Power infrastructure will include removing existing overhead lines and providing shore power to the riverfront wharves.

Peters has been a strong advocate for increased funding for Michigan’s ports. During negotiations for the bipartisan infrastructure law, Peters pushed for and succeeded in securing increased investments for the Port Infrastructure Development Program to fund port infrastructure needed to improve freight mobility, address port congestion, and improve port competitiveness.

As Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters has supported funding for the Port Security Grant Program and has fought to support Michigan’s ports, especially the Port of Monroe, and ensure they receive fair treatment. Last year, he announced the Port of Monroe received a $770,983 federal grant to help upgrade cargo screening infrastructure and previously helped secure a $1.1 million federal grant for the Port to expand its maritime commerce operations. A bipartisan measure coauthored by Peters was signed into law requiring federal officials to assess all ports of entry, including finding ways to reduce wait times for passengers and cargo at the border. Peters has also repeatedly pressed U.S. Customs and Border Protection on why the Port of Monroe is being held to standards that are not applied to other ports in the region. He toured the Port of Monroe last year with Customs and Border Protection officials and Port of Monroe leaders to assess current operations and discuss resolving ongoing cargo clearance challenges that impact commerce at the port.

 

Corps of Engineers receiving new crane barge for St. Marys River

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich., – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District in concert with the Philadelphia District and the Marine Design Center awards a contract to Southwest Shipyard LP of Houston, Texas in the amount of $11.4 million for a new crane barge on the St. Marys River.

“The new crane barge will perform critical lock and hydropower facility maintenance at the Soo Project Office (Soo Locks),” said Justin Proulx, Chief of the St. Marys River Section. “Additionally, the new vessel will support channel maintenance and will be ready to respond to critical maritime incidents on the St Marys River, such as vessel groundings and anchor drags.”

 

Neebish Islander III departs shipyard for service in the Upper Peninusla

The new ferry Neebish Islander III departed the Burger Boat Co. shipyard in Manitowoc, WI, Thursday morning. She is expected to arrive at the island on Sunday. The 92-foot-long vessel is an ice breaking passenger and auto ferry that can carry 15 passenger vehicles. The ferry will be used year-round, carrying people on the St Marys River, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, between Barbeau and Neebish Island.

 

Canada’s shrinking St. Lawrence is the latest threat to shipping routes

A key Canadian shipping corridor is the latest waterway struggling with dwindling water levels.

Parts of the St. Lawrence River near Montreal have hit 10-year lows, said Bryce Carmichael, hydraulic engineer and U.S. section secretary for the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board. Seaway managers in Canada and the U.S. are monitoring the conditions and considering boosting the flow of water from Lake Ontario to make conditions safer for commercial ships, according to Carmichael.

“Right now, we’re expecting two to three weeks of lower levels,” he said.

The shrinking water levels in Canada come as closures on the Mississippi River threaten exports of corn and soybeans just as farmers are in the thick of harvest, threatening to cause a buildup of supplies. The phenomenon has also hit Europe and China, where the Rhine River and Yangtze shrunk this year.

River levels on the St. Lawrence have “decreased considerably” and the latest forecasts by the Canadian Coast Guard call for further drops, according to a customer bulletin from global shipping line Hapag-Lloyd AG. The company has increased rates to move cargo to and through Montreal’s port until Nov. 1.

“It’s been very low for a while,” said Frank Seglenieks, Canadian co-chair of the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board of Control, noting the basin has been dry this spring and summer, impacting water levels. “In general, when we have lower water levels ships do have to lighten their loads.”

Toronto Star

 

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Roger Blough tow leaves Sturgeon Bay for Conneaut

The tugs Meredith Ashton and Candace Elise departed BayShip Thursday morning with the fire-damaged Roger Blough. AIS indicates the destination as Conneaut, Ohio. Speculation earlier had the vessel bound for either Gladstone or Escanaba, MI, for further storage. No information has been released as to what fate awaits the Blough. The Cason J. Callaway remains at BayShip for now.

 

Sault Ste. Marie looking at infrastructure to host more Great Lakes cruise ships

The City of Sault Ste. Marie is expecting ten more cruise ships to visit by spring, 2023. The increase would bring the total number of cruise stops at Sault Ste. Marie to 50. With the cruise ship traffic, the city is looking to update its infrastructure to support the rise in tourism.

Sault Ste. Marie hosted about a half dozen cruise ships in 2022 making around 50 port calls.

“It’s been a great year. Seeing them come in and seeing the buses, you know they hire bus companies to come in and take them around, and you know, you can see them walking down the street right by here to go downtown and to our downtown district,” said Linda Hoath, Sault Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Hoath explained with tourism being a year-round industry, adding a few thousand more people who aren’t straining the housing industry is a great thing.

City leaders are now trying to find a permanent dock solution. The Carbide Dock was taken out of commission in 2016, and over the past six years, the city has been searching for grants and other funding to get it operational once again. The cost to get the Carbide Dock operational is expected to be more than $20 million.

Up North Live

 

A day in the life of the Split Rock Lighthouse keeper

In all of Split Rock’s 112-year history, the lighthouse has always had a keeper. Right now, that person is Hayes Scriven, a self-described “history geek.” He and his family live on site.

“It is definitely like a surreal experience. When we first moved here in January, the first night, we went to bed and we’re like, we’re sleeping at Split Rock. This is so cool,” he remembered.

The next morning, they woke up, looked out toward Lake Superior, and an eagle flew right toward the house and up over it. “I’m like, I can’t believe I live here,” Scriven said. Originally, the lighthouse had three keepers, according to Scriven.

Read the full story here: https://www.wdio.com/lift-online/a-day-in-the-life-of-the-split-rock-lighthouse-keeper/

WDIO

Roger Blough set to leave Sturgeon Bay

STURGEON BAY, WI – Tugs Meredith Ashton and Candace Elise moved the Roger Blough from Bayship late Tuesday morning to the dock face. The tow is expected to leave for Conneaut, OH, on Wednesday.

 

Spruceglen hits bottom in Welland Canal

On Saturday, Spruceglen hit the bottom in the Welland Canal between Locks 7 and 8, taking on water. She sailed to Hamilton for diver inspection and repair. She is curr

ently sitting at Pier 26 in Hamilton.

 

Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Down 5.6 Percent in September

 CLEVELAND – Shipments of iron ore from U.S. ports on the Great Lakes totaled 5.1 million tons in September, a decrease of 5.6 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments were below the month’s 5-year average by 6.5 percent.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 29.2 million tons, a decrease of nearly 21.8 percent compared to the same point in 2021.

Through September iron ore loadings are 20.1 percent below their 5-year average for the first three quarters.

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.

Lake Carriers’ Association 

 

National Museum of the Great Lakes events

See gallery below

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Roger Blough tow leaves Sturgeon Bay

12:50 p.m. UPDATE: Meredith Ashton and Candace Elise towed the Roger Blough from Bayship late Tuesday morning. The destination had not been entered on AIS.

ORIGINAL POST: Two Ashton Marine tugs (Meredith Ashton and Candace Elise) were at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay Tuesday morning waiting to tow the fire-damaged Roger Blough away. Bayship has rigged heavy towing chains to the bow and stern, there is also a portable generator mounted on the deck. Her destination appears to be Conneaut, OH.

Jim Conlon

Lakes Limestone Trade Down 3.7 Percent in September

CLEVELAND – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million tons in September, a decrease of 3.7 percent compared to a year ago.  Limestone cargos were below the month’s 5-year average by 2.7 percent.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, a decrease of 5.4 percent from 2021.  Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 675,023 tons, a decrease of 1.3 percent.

Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 21.1 million tons, a near match compared to a year ago.  Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 16.7 million tons, an increase of less than 1 percent.  Shipments from Ontario quarries total 4.4 million tons, a decrease 3.4 percent.

Lake Superior News

 

Short-sea shipping could increase jobs in Cleveland

CLEVELAND – You may have already heard the warnings to start your holiday shopping early this year.

The effects of the pandemic, supply chain issues and now congestion at coastal ports could leave that “must have” holiday gadget or toy stranded miles away from area store shelves.

Now ports are rethinking how cargo should be transported.

The ship “Huron Spirit” is docked to offload Canadian-made steel in Cleveland. This is an example of short-sea shipping, the movement of cargo between ports, without traveling on the oceans. It is a concept that isn’t new.

“Particularly on our instance here on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway system it is becoming much more popular and prevalent for a lot of cargo owners not only around here but the Midwest in general,” said David Gutheil, the Chief Commercial Officer for the Port of Cleveland.

Coastal port congestion is sparking interest in short-sea shipping on the Great Lakes, here and in Canada. The Great Lakes Commission, an international agency that sets policies for the lakes, encouraged the practice this summer.

“We are basically trying to develop a solution that already exists and increase the knowledge in the supply chain industry that they have an option like this to use,” remarked Gutheil.

Gutheil says increasing shipping between Great Lake ports will speed up transportation time, as goods are off-loaded closer to their final destination.

“Unfortunately, it has taken a pandemic and some congestion that is going on in some coastal ports because of global supply chain issues to make people realize that this is a viable solution,” said Gutheil.

Another change the Port of Cleveland made was to create a container business in 2014. This allows a greater influx of finished goods, to arrive in Cleveland. That’s where the port can see immediate growth using short-sea shipping.

“We have the capacity to handle more than 50 thousand containers annually. Here at the space, we are operating right now at the port,” stated Gutheil.

Gutheil can see “overseas ships” stopping first in Canada, then smaller ships coming to Cleveland. He believes an increase in waterway traffic has potential environmental benefits.

“More maritime shipping means less pollution because it means less truck and less rail movements,” said Gutheil. “The movement of cargo on the water is seven times more fuel efficient than movement by trucks. It reduces fuel emissions, and it is greener in general.”

Over 20,000 jobs and $3.5 billion in economic activity annually are tied to the Port of Cleveland. Short-sea shipping could push those numbers even higher.

“We want to help folks around here not only move their cargo more efficiently but gain higher paying jobs through the movement of cargo and if we can assist in that process, we’re happy to do so,” stated Gutheil.

WKYC

 

Lake Ontario water levels lower than average this fall

Lake Ontario currently has lower water levels than the past two years, but officials say there is no need to worry.

Lake Ontario’s levels are currently just below the historical average, and just about a foot lower than at this time last year. Bryce Carmichael, a hydraulic engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board, said that even though the International Joint Commission, which oversees the maintenance of Lake Ontario, there is not much man can do to combat the changes.

“There is no feasible way that manmade structures can control a body of water the size of Lake Ontario,” Carmichael said. “It’s just up to Mother Nature primarily. We have a little bit of influence at certain times of the season that can be used to benefit users, but the primary driver is really natural factors.”

Despite the levels being lower than recent years, they are still above any record lows, Carmichael said that this is normal.

“This is not unprecedented,” Carmichael said. “We would expect these levels to come about seasonally, periodically, definitely not every year. But as we move through the next decade or so, it could happen again. In a year we could have record highs or record lows.”

In a recent attempt to help recreational boaters, water levels in Lake St. Lawrence, near Massena, were temporarily lowered from Oct. 7 to Oct. 10. Carmichael said that while the IJC cannot always prioritize recreational boaters, some interests can work together to create change.

“So, in the consideration of low water impacts, there is a operation that can be made that can increase water levels in specific parts of the system to help navigation, sometimes that does help recreational boating as well,” Carmichael said. “But, they are not always step-by-step in tandem.”

The temporary water level raising will have no significant impact on the surrounding environment. The IJC will continue to monitor water levels along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

WRVO

 

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See media gallery below

Canadian Coast Guard Takes Delivery of Final AHTS Icebreaker

The Canadian Coast Guard has taken delivery of its third converted commercial icebreaker, the CCGS Vincent Massey.

Vincent Massey is the former offshore vessel Tor Viking / Tor Viking II, a 2,600 dwt icebreaking anchor handler built in Norway in 2000. After 18 years of commercial service, she was purchased by the Canadian government as an “interim” icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard. She was converted and redelivered by Davie Shipyard.

Vincent Massey was originally designed to the DNV ICE 10 notation, but her hull and propulsion have been upgraded to meet PC 4, a common standard for medium icebreaking duty. She is rated for breaking three feet of ice continuously at three knots. Other refit work included increasing the crew accommodation capacity, adding a heavy lift crane, removing her towing winch, and increasing her endurance.

CCGS Vincent Massey and her two sister ships, CCGS Jean Goodwill and CCGS Captain Molly Kool, were purchased in 2018 to keep icebreaking services running in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. Their entry into service allows the Canadian Coast Guard’s older icebreakers to rotate through a life-extension and maintenance program; though designated as “interim” icebreakers, the converted AHTS are expected to serve for the next 15-20 years.

The final acquisition cost for the three vessels came to about US$660 million, up from a planned US$445 million. Canada doubled down on this procurement model last year, buying a used light icebreaker out of the Caspian Sea offshore sector for US$33 million.

Tor Viking may be best remembered for a rescue she carried out off Cold Bay, Alaska in 2015. She responded to a sailing yacht in distress in 20-foot seas, and when she came alongside, the survivor jumped over the vessel’s rail head-first – with his cat tucked safely in his jacket (below).

The Maritime Executive

Sault Ste. Marie enters agreement to find dock space for cruise ships

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Sault Ste. Marie City Commission has entered an agreement with local docks to host cruise ships coming through the Soo while the Carbide Dock project is still underway.

Every year, dozens of cruise ships pass through the Soo Locks, bringing tourists directly into downtown. In the past year, the city has hosted more than 40 cruise ship visits. City officials wish to welcome even more of these ships as they have a positive impact on the downtown business community, but there is no viable city-owned dock to host the ships since the Carbide Dock was deemed unsafe for public use in 2016.

A Great Lakes Cruising Coalition report that the commission has cited in the past states that the average cruise ship carries between 140 to 210 passengers, who are likely to spend $75 to $150 in an average visit. Their spending helps support downtown businesses and restaurants.

Since the Carbide Dock reconstruction project began in 2017, the city has had to find other docks to host cruise ships. With the city expected to see an increase in cruise ship activity in the next year, the city commission decided that a more permanent solution was needed while the dock project is still underway.

“In a couple of years when the Carbide Dock is done, we won’t have these expenses anymore because we’ll be using our own property,” said city manager Brian Chapman at the commission meeting on Oct. 17. Le Sault de Sainte Marie Historical Sites, Inc. and Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours have entered into an agreement with the city to host these cruise ships at their docks going forward.

During its meeting on Sept. 19, the Sault Ste. Marie City Commission approved two more grant applications for the ongoing Carbide Dock project. In 2017, the commission approved the dock rehabilitation project. The project will make all parts of the dock usable, as currently the portions of the dock closest to the water are in too much disrepair.

The project will replace approximately 1,100 linear feet of the existing condemned dock structure to create a working waterfront. There will also be several updates to the dock, including secure storage areas, improved storm water management facilities, and a critical connection from the Easterday Avenue truck route to the riverfront.

The city has been applying for grants ever since approving the project. In 2018, the city commission estimated the city would need at least $20 million in total to complete the entire project.

Sault News

Great Lakes shipping cargo down 5.63% this year

Great Lakes shipping is down 5.63% so far this year, but a strong September brought the total closer to its 2021 level.

Total cargo on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 23.36 million tons through the end of September, down from 24.75 million through the same period last year, according to the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership. Transits rose 2.98% to 2,664, up from 2,587 through the same period last year.

In September, the United States traded with 15 countries around the world via the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes port system, which includes the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor and the Port of Chicago. That’s down from 23 in August, according to the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership.

U.S. grain shipments remain robust. Ships moved 689,000 tons of U.S. grains on the Great Lakes through the end of September, a 41.24% increase over the same period in 2021.

“September’s tonnage report reaffirms that the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System is a reliable shipping corridor enabling U.S. growers and producers to feed the world,” said Jeff Scharf, acting deputy administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. “With a busy few months remaining in the 2022 season, we’re confident that our Great Lakes ports are ready to finish the year strong.”

Shipments of coke were up 16.95%, potash 261.5%, scrap metal 11.3% and petroleum products 42.5% through the end of September.

Port Milwaukee took shipments of steel and yacht components last month.

“Port Milwaukee is realizing new maritime commerce opportunities with an increase of high-value breakbulk and project cargoes traveling through our terminals,” said Port Milwaukee Director Adam Tindall-Schlicht. “From The DeLong Co., Inc. assembling a new ship loader for agricultural exports, to the delivery of curved steel plates, brewery tanks, and superyacht pieces, Port Milwaukee stands ready to welcome and transport cargo of all kinds in supporting regional economic activity that moves the Great Lakes supply chain forward.”

A strong September narrowed the year-to-date gap from 8.9% through the end of August to just 5.6% through the end of last month. Among items helping close the gap were wind turbines from several countries, including Germany, Spain, Vietnam and China.

Soon the Great Lakes will start to ice over and become impassable for maritime commerce.

“It was good to see a nice jump in grain shipments last month,” said Bruce Burrows, president and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “We are optimistic that the positive numbers for September are an indication that it will be a strong fourth quarter and robust finish to the 2022 shipping season.”

NWI Times

 

Record 52 cruise ships docked in Detroit this year

If you spent any time along the Detroit River this summer, you probably noticed an increase in the number of cruise ships. Now, we know this summer was a record-breaking cruising season along the Great Lakes.

According to Cruise the Great Lakes and the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, there were 52 cruise ships that visited Detroit in 2022, more than double the last cruising season in 2019.

The organizations said the cruise passengers had a $125 million economic impact on Detroit with nearly 150,000 passenger visits to Great Lakes ports.

As of this year, there were nine different ships that cruise the Great Lakes, and that number is expected to increase to 11 next year with the addition of the Viking Polaris and Hanseatic Inspiration.

In 2023, it’s expected that the increase will continue with an expected 170,000 cruise ship passengers to regional ports with a total economic impact of $180 million.

Some of the Great Lakes cruise voyages include a Montreal to Detroit route, which goes through Lake Ontario and Lake Erie with stops in Montreal, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Cleveland and Detroit.

WXYZ

 

World Ship Society report of casualties, demolitions

Vessels with a Great Lakes / Seaway connection reported as a casualty or sold for demolition. Taken from October 2022 issue of Marine News – Journal of the World Ship Society.

Casualty: HOLIDAY ISLAND (7041431 / 1971) – Canadian flagged passenger ferry caught fire in the engine room on 22/7/2022 while arriving at Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island, Canada and was intentionally grounded.  Passengers and crew were safely rescued and vessel was refloated on 24/7/2022 and berthed.  The engine is badly damaged.

Demolitions: none to report

Report prepared by Barry Andersen and René Beauchamp

Fall storm brings high winds and snow, sending vessels to anchor

Port of Cleveland takes vital step forward in transformational lakefront project

CLEVELAND, OH – The Port of Cleveland’s board of directors took a vital step forward this week in embarking on a $300 million, multi-decade and ‘transformational’ project that would dramatically redefine the eastern shoreline of Lake Erie. Officials awarded a $3.75 million contract to a global engineering firm on Thursday, officially kicking off the extensive design and permitting process needed to bring the so-called CHEERS project to life.

The board selected Arup Engineering to head up the design and permitting services that will serve as the all-important foundation for the project to move forward. The Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy (CHEERS) project will soften the hardened, sculpted edges of Cleveland’s eastern lakefront near East 55th St. Marina, Gordon Park and the Lakefront Nature Preserve. By utilizing dredge material from the Cuyahoga River, the project calls for a more naturalized eastern shoreline, providing outdoor amenities for park-goers and habitats for wildlife. Additionally, a sheltered embayment will allow visitors to have direct access to the water, which would buttress a manmade ‘isle’ north of the nature preserve.

“We’re excited to be moving forward into the design phase of this transformational and vital project that will benefit Northeast Ohio communities for generations to come,” said Will Friedman, the president and CEO of the Port of Cleveland.

In addition to the recreational benefits, the project aims to better connect east-side residents to the lake in a manner similar to Edgewater Park and the west side. Although the project will likely be completed in phases over the course of three decades, the broader goals of the initiative include reconnecting communities to the region’s greatest natural resource, improving public health, bolstering the regional economy and tourism efforts and benefitting the environment.

Tracy Johnson, an avid fisherman that spends much of his free time fishing near the East 55th Street marina, said the project is exactly what the east side needs.

“I think it’s a great idea. Not only will people be able to come out and they put the island out there and you can picnic or relax,” Johnson said. “And, of course, the fishing. The further out in the water you get, the more fish you can catch. You got Edgewater on the west side. We need something out here also.”

Six entities guide the CHEERS project: the Port of Cleveland, the Cleveland Metroparks, the City of Cleveland, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Black Environmental Leaders Association.

News 5 Cleveland

 

How a fleet of robots could help solve the Great Lakes plastic pollution problem

In the murky waters of Lake Ontario just off the Toronto harbor, a stream of trash inches toward a round, tubular-looking device floating in the water. A piece of white styrofoam bumps up against the device’s lip. Then, in one fluid motion, it tumbles over the edge. With tendrils of marine plants circling the waste, it looks like the styrofoam could have entered a portal to an undersea world. Instead, the device is a gateway to a less mystical — yet vital — destination: the garbage dump.

“It’s basically like a floating trash can,” says Chelsea Rochman, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Toronto, who has worked with a team at the university to capture trash in Lake Ontario with bins like these since 2019. Powered from shore, the device, called a Seabin, uses a motor to create a vortex that gently pulls in floating waste from a 160-foot radius and then stores the trash in an attached basket.

Read the full story here: https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/14/23401381/great-lakes-plastic-pollution-cleanup-tech-robots

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