Nearly 100-year-old ship docked in Green Bay to be scrapped

GREEN BAY, WI – The days are numbered for one of the oldest ships still floating on the Great Lakes, which has called Green Bay home for 25 years.

The S.T. Crapo, built in 1927, has been docked at Lafarge on the west bank of the Fox River in Green Bay, where it has served as cement storage barge, according to boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/, which tracks Great Lakes shipping.

However, Lafarge is expanding its storage facilities on land, and the Crapo is expected to be tugged out of port Friday, according to Port Director Dean Haen.

The vessel was sold to a Canadian company, Marine Recycling Corp., to be scrapped in Port Colborne, Ontario – just west of Buffalo, on Lake Erie.

“All the metals recovered from the ship will be made into new metal, using industrial furnaces with energy savings of approximately 80%, as compared to making metal from virgin ores and, metal is infinitely recyclable. She may next appear as vehicle components!” according to Wayne Elliott, co-founder of MRC.

The ship weighs about 4,000 tons, according to Elliott.

According to BoatNerd’s history of the ship, the Crapo was named in honor of Sanford Tappan Crapo, a co-founder of the Huron Portland Cement Co. It was just the second purpose-built self-unloading bulk cement carrier. It was removed from active service in 1996, and was subsequently was docked in Green Bay. The Crapo made one last voyage in 2005, when it was towed to Alpena, Mich., to pick up a load of cement.

Fox 11 News

 

Canadian pilots needed

See gallery below

 

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Wind tower project wraps up at the Port of Monroe

MONROE, MI – Yesterday, the Port of Monroe is celebrating the completion of a wind tower project that saw 90 wind tower sections move on an all-marine route to Oswego, New York.

The towers were manufactured by Monroe-based Ventower Industries, the only active wind turbine tower manufacturer in the United States located at a Port. The Port’s terminal operator, DRM Terminal Services, worked with Capital City Crane group crews to efficiently load the components at the Port’s riverfront dock. The towers were delivered to Oswego by the tug Meredith Ashton of Ashton Marine, where they are being staged with other components for a renewable energy project site in upstate New York.

The Port of Monroe was designated as part of the Marine Highway Route M-90 in 2016 by the U.S. Maritime Administration. This project is just one example of how the Port and its stakeholders are working to expand the use of America’s navigable waterways.

Port of Monroe 

 

Cruise industry rebounds in Great Lakes: ‘If you build it, they will come’

MUSKEGON, MI – Cruise the Great Lakes is having a record year, as passengers return by the thousands to Midwest cruise lines.

“I think that inability to travel made people even more desirous to go traveling through cruising,” said Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan. “There was this real pent-up demand.”

In their first full season since the pandemic began, the group found an all-time high of nearly 150,000 passengers visiting Great Lakes ports, up 25 percent from 2019.

“It is growing,” Lorenz said. “It’s getting more people to come here to spend some time and some significant amount of money here as well. And that helps us to grow and retain jobs in our region.”

Former Gov. Rick Snyder helped launch Cruise the Great Lakes in 2018. It’s an international partnership designed to bring more people to the lakes, boosting Michigan’s tourism.

“We felt if we could get them to come to the Great Lakes to get a sample of what they could enjoy, if they were to come here for a week or two, or even come here for school as an investment or to live here, we felt like we could really benefit from it,” Lorenz said. “All of us.”

They say it’s a boon for cities like Muskegon — a frequent stop on the trips — and its local businesses.

“This has been a great boost for Muskegon’s tourism,” said Cindy Larsen, president of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. “We’re being exposed to a group of people who may never have even heard of us. But they’re coming to our community for the first time and they love everything that they see and do here.” Lorenz agreed with Larsen.

“They love this port,” Lorenz said. “In fact, some of them say Muskegon is their favorite port because of the way Muskegon folks treat them. They know they’re welcome here. They will come here, they’ll check out the historic sights, maybe they’ll take a motorcoach to Holland, eventually some of them will go to Grand Rapids and a place like Meijer Gardens. They want to see different things that they can’t just see anywhere.”

New customs facilities in Duluth and Cleveland are making the process smoother for passengers, joining existing facilities in Detroit and Sault Ste. Marie. Lorenz said it helps reduce wait times, which sometimes ran for hours in the past.

The cruise season for Cruise the Great Lakes runs from early April to late October. Prices range depending on the duration and route of the trip, with nine ships operating in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence.

Holland is hoping to bring cruise ships back to port in Lake Macatawa soon, with initial plans in the works by a local developer for 108 units of housing across four buildings, plus a 50-room hotel, marina with private and transient slips, a “boat-watching plaza,” a restaurant and ice cream shop and a docking area for cruise ships.

“If you build it, they will come,” Lorenz said.

Holland Sentinel

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Optimistic Outlook for the Remainder of the Seaway Shipping Season

During the month of August, 3.46 million tons of cargo moved through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system, bringing the year-to-date total to nearly 19.2 million tons shipped. While tonnage transported on the Seaway system is below the year-to-date total for 2021, total vessel transits remain stable for the same period. This shows that the Seaway is ready to respond to the opportunities between now and the end of the season, including Canadian grain shipments that could lead to a comeback this fall.

“This year, U.S grains, which includes corn, soybeans and seeds is up by 29% and all signs point to a strong Canadian crop, particularly in Ontario. This could offset the early season slow-down that we’ve experienced.” said Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

While Canadian grain is still down 26%, salt, petroleum products, petcoke and potash continue well ahead of 2021 levels. For the year, shipments of petroleum products are up 40% to more than 1.5 million tons, petcoke shipments have increased more than 31% to 1.15 million tons and potash shipments are up more than 267% at 756,000 tons. Year-to-year shipments of windmill equipment is also up.

The Port of Thunder Bay reports that potash exports hit a modern monthly record of more than 218,000 tons in August, bringing the total for the year (through August) to 852,653 tons.

“Surpassing the 30-year annual high for potash is certainly a landmark for the port,” said Port of Thunder Bay CEO Tim Heney. “As for grain shipments, we anticipate seeing the arrival of the Prairie grain crop during September, with crop production expected to exceed 2021 volume by at least 30%.”

Activity at Port Windsor is picking up with total tonnage growing 5.6% over the same time period last year. “Grain continues at a strong pace, while salt has fully recovered with production out of its new seam at the mine,” said Steve Salmons, Windsor Port Authority President and CEO. “Aggregates are also ahead of last year and shipments are expected to double by year end, with delivery of 1 million tons of crushed stone to Windsor for the construction of the new electric vehicle battery plant.”

With Ontario poised to produce its fourth largest soybean crop ever, soybean exports through the Port of Hamilton are soaring. “We are already 78% above last year’s performance and we’re forecasting 1 million tons of soybean exports by season’s close,” said Ian Hamilton, President and CEO of HOPA Ports. “We are also seeing a steady increase in imports of raw sugar for processing, up 68% this year, driven by the success of SucroCan, a sugar producer located at the port.”

August was also a busy month for Picton Terminals’ Amy Lynn D tug, which moved a rotor from Valleyfield to Cacouna, in addition to towing a 2600m pipe from Hamilton to Toronto for the Deep Lake Water Cooling expansion project. The tug continues to ship aggregates from Picton Terminals to Toronto for several projects involving the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.

 

Hovercraft services plans to start Toronto to Niagara run next summer

Toronto to Niagara in 30 minutes?

In the latest attempt at a cross-lake transit link, a new hovercraft service plans to run rapid journeys between the two locations beginning next summer.

Two high-speed hovercraft will soon allow Niagara-bound travellers to skip the gridlock on the QEW and hover across Lake Ontario — from Ontario Place to Port Weller, St. Catharines — in barely more than the amount of time it takes to ride the Maid of the Mist.

Operated by Hoverlink Ontario Inc., a company formed for this purpose and funded by private Canadian investors, the two hovercraft hold up to 180 passengers each, and can travel in all weather conditions, across land, ice and water.

With a travel time of about half an hour, the new service aims to make Niagara’s tourist attractions more accessible for Torontonians and ease the pain for commuters, according to Hoverlink’s CEO Chris Morgan. “It’s a game changer,” said Morgan. “You could actually head to Niagara for the evening, grab a show, go to a winery and come back and not spend four to six hours in traffic.”

On the other end, the hovercraft will allow people living in the Niagara region to come into the city for a sports game or a concert, he said. The 130-km car journey from Toronto to Niagara Falls can take more than two hours in traffic. The train ride is also two hours.

Hoverlink is not the first company to try transportation across Lake Ontario, but previous cross-lake ventures have fizzled. A ferry that carried travellers between Toronto and Rochester, N.Y., was sunk after just two seasons in 2006 when the city of Rochester refused to fund it.

What makes this venture different, Morgan said, is the “craft capability.” The hovercraft are the first of their kind in North America, he said, adding that they are fast and environmentally friendly, with low emission engines and producing no disturbance to marine life. And according to Morgan, they are no louder than a standard dishwasher.

The craft have two propulsion systems that allow them to float above the surface, Morgan said: one that creates lift by pushing air down, and another that propels the vehicle forward.

With two vessels and up to 48 lake crossings per day, 365 days a year, the service plans to move more than 3 million passengers per year. According to Morgan, this equates to removing as many as 8,000 cars off the highway every day — or about 33 km of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The hovercraft project has been in the works for more than a decade and has required approvals from all three levels of government, Morgan said. The service is set to open in July or August of next summer, after the craft pass safety tests.

Toronto Star

 

50-metre tall Port Colborne marine tower tumbled for TV

A massive thud heard and felt across Port Colborne signalled the end for a 50-metre tall marine tower that stood for 82 years on the city’s waterfront at Ceres Global Ag.

As it hit the ground, the tower once used to unload vessels at the former Robin Hood Multifoods crumpled, sending sparks and dust flying as onlookers watched from the opposite side of the weir. It seemed like the tower would never fall as crews from Owen Sound-based Roy-Mar Demolition prepped the structure for hours.

Read the full article at this link: https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/entertainment/television/2022/09/15/marine-tower-tumbles-down-at-port-colbornes-ceres-global-ag-for-tv-show-salvage-kings.html

Niagara Falls Review

 

Denis Sullivan ship leaving Milwaukee, sold to Boston-based fleet

MILWAUKEE, WI – The sailing vessel Denis Sullivan has been sold and will be leaving Milwaukee, a Discovery World representative confirmed Thursday, Sept. 15.

The ship will set sail again this fall and continue its mission of educating the public about the natural environment. According to a news release, the ship will join the World Ocean School fleet.

Discovery World said it hopes the Denis Sullivan will make return visits to Milwaukee and offer educational programming when it does.

Fox 6 Milwaukee

 

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Agreement reached to deepen Port of Oswego harbor

OSWEGO, NY – Tuesday was an historic day at the Port of Oswego as 25 years of discussions concluded in an agreement to fund and conduct a study to deepen the Oswego Harbor.

Port officials feel the project would transform the site and accelerate its growth.

Once complete, Seawaymax Class freighters, the largest to travel the Great Lakes, U.S. Navy ships and Great Lakes cruise ships could use the Port of Oswego.

The Port of Oswego a busy place, as it is New York’s only port on Lake Ontario. It now hopes to become even busier with the signing of Tuesday’s historic agreement. The Port of Oswego Authority and the U.S. Corps of Engineers will now move forward after a 25-year discussion to deepen the port’s harbor.

Lt. Col. Colby Krug is the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Buffalo district commander.

“It’s adding an additional foot and a half of depth to the harbor,” he explained. “And again, that’s what these salties and lakers that you see traverse the Great Lakes, that’s what they’re looking for, below their keel to have a full load on their ship.”

The joint feasibility study should take approximately a year. It’s the first phase of a three-step process. The following phases are design and construction. They hope dredging of the harbor can begin sometime in 2025.

“We have that timeline. I think about 2025, they will see the first dredges and the deepening happening the deep,” Port of Oswego Executive Director and CEO William Scriber said.

The deepening, he says, will allow for 740-foot Seaway max class freighters. Big ships mean a boon to the New York economy, he said.

“As I’ve often said, ports equal jobs. And a port is just not the jobs on the ports. It’s the jobs we support and the added industry that we bring in an area,” Scriber said. “Water is cheaper than both rail and truck. And economies of scale are on ships.”

Francis Enwright, Port of Oswego Authority Board chair said, “You get larger ships in here and also we could load the ships deeper, which means we can put more of our product, whether it be grain, corn onto the ships or offload. They can bring in more, which is profitable for everybody.”

Spectrum News 1 

 

Museum’s 2022 fall lecture series takes flight with topic featuring famed World War II Tuskegee Airmen

TOLEDO, OH – On Wednesday, September 28, at 7 p.m. the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) will kick off their annual fall lecture series with “Last Flight of a Tuskegee Airman” featuring underwater archaeologist Wayne Lusardi.

“On April 11, 1944, Second Lt. Frank Moody, a manner of the Tuskegee Airmen, lost his life on a training mission over Lake Huron,” shares NMGL’s Archaeological and Research Director Carrie Sowden. “The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II. To help explore their story and this tragedy, we’ve asked Mr. Lusardi to join us in sharing his investigation of the archaeological site and theories of what may have happened on that fateful day.”

The presenter, Wayne Lusardi, is the State Maritime Archaeologist with the Michigan

Department of Natural Resources. Through his work, he is responsible for the research,

documentation, preservation, and management of nearly 200 shipwrecks located in and around Thunder Bay, and another 1,300 around the State of Michigan. Although Mr. Lusardi will be presenting virtually, individuals who register for the lecture will have the option to watch him at the Museum during an in-person watch party and live-streamed question and answer session.

This is the first of three lectures in the museum’s 2022 Fall Lecture Series. On Wednesday, October 26 the museum will feature Author Wendy Kolie who will uncover the deadly undercurrent lurking beneath Lake Erie’s surface in “Lake Erie Murder and Mayhem”. Then, on Wednesday, November 9 NMGL’s final lecture will take a comprehensive look at the only floating US Post Office by presenting “Mail By the Pail: The History of the J.W. Westcott Co.”

All lectures are hybrid events—meaning participants can choose when registering to take part in the lecture at the museum or online via Zoom. Event registration is required but free. Donations are encouraged and can be given upon registration. For more information on the spring lectures or to register to join the event, visit nmgl.org.

National Museum of the Great Lakes

 

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Isle Royale Queen cancels remainder of 2022 season

ISLE ROYALE, MI – The Isle Royale Queen posted on Facebook Friday morning that they will be canceling the rest of their 2022 season.

According to the post, the Isle Royale Queen IV needs a minor hull repair and under Unites States Coast Guard restrictions, they are unable to sail until the repair is complete.

The post says, “If you have a reservation with us, you have received an email about how refunds will be issued. If you have a loved one on Isle Royale, rest assured that we are working closely with the National Park Service to get those folks back to the mainland. They should be able to get off the island fairly quickly.”

Isle Royale Line, Inc. said that the decision to cancel their season was difficult but that they must put the safety of their crew and passengers first.

WLUC

 

World Ship Society report of casualties, demolitions

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

 Casualty: * indicates a total loss

MOAMAEU * (7915929) (Shilla Sprinter-12, Cape Hatteras-05, Captain Frank Medina-01 – 1st Seaway passage 1980 on maiden trip from Peterson Builders Inc – Sturgeon Bay) 1,803 /1980 – Kiribati flag fishing vessel owned by Sill & Co Ltd., South Korea collided with another fishing vessel, VIVA FAFA No707 (9035254) 1,735 / 1992, on 8/6/2022 190 miles NE of Arawa, Papua New Guinea. She sank and the 31 crew were rescued by the other ship, which sustained serious bow damage

 Sold for Demolition:

CAMILLA D (8100585) (Camilla Desgagnés -17 – 1st seaway passage – 2004, Camilla-04) – 10,085 / 1982 – Ro-Ro cargo ship by Moderate Trading, Cyprus, to Triveni Shipbreakers, India and arrived Alang 18.05.2022. Scrapping commenced 28.02.2022

Report prepared by Barry Andersen & René Beauchamp

 

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Breaks Ground On New Facility

Great Lakes shipbuilding and repair giant, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, broke ground on a new 19,000 sq. ft. machine shop at their Sturgeon Bay location today.

Inside the future 300-ft. long building, shipbuilders will have access to two overhead cranes capable of lifting 5 and 30 tons, respectively. At the other end of the building there will be offices, restrooms, a lunchroom and a tool room. The facility will primarily support Bay’s repair business.

Read the full article at this link: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/fincantieri-bay-shipbuilding-breaks-ground-on-new-facility/

Marine Insight

 

U.S. National Park Service awards Wisconsin Maritime Museum preservation grant

MANITOWOC, WI – On Sept. 9, 2022, the U.S. National Park Service announced that the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, WI. has been awarded a preservation grant of $500,000 for a future dry docking of its World War II submarine U.S.S. Cobia.

The grant was one of 80 preservation and collection projects funded by the latest round of the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures grant program.

In total, $24.25 million to projects in 32 states and the District of Columbia were awarded by the Park Service in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services today.

Also among the recently announced grants was $413,709 to the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, R.I. for a preservation project involving the historic General Burnside Building and $500,000 to the Pacific Fleet Memorial Association, Inc. of Honolulu, Hawaii for dry docking of the World War II submarine U.S.S. Bowfin.

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History

 

Danish Sail Training Ship Strikes Great Lakes-built LCS at Baltimore Pier

On Sunday, a Danish sail training ship sustained minor damage in an allision with the littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul at a pier in Baltimore, Maryland.

According to local media, the Danish training ship Danmark was under tow by two tugs when she struck some pilings alongside the pier. The Danmark then carried on and made contact with the hull of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul.

“No U.S. Navy personnel were injured and no serious damage sustained onboard USS Minneapolis St. Paul (LCS 21),” a Navy spokesperson said in a statement.

The Navy said that the casualty was part of an otherwise “fantastic” fleet week in Baltimore.

A video of the scene shows that a boom on the stern of the sailing ship contacted the lifelines on the Minneapolis-Saint Paul’s bow, breaking several. An aerial photo provided by a bystander appears to show that the sailing ship’s stern made contact with the LCS’ stem as well.

Baltimore’s fleet week has proceeded as planned in other respects. The event includes ship tours, flyovers, displays, and Fleet Week festivals at multiple locations throughout Baltimore. The event continues through Tuesday.

Other vessels in port for fleet week include the amphib USS Carter Hall, fast transport USNS Newport, Royal Canadian Navy patrol vessel HMCS Moncton, and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC James Rankin. More than 2,300 servicemembers are expected to participate.

Danmark is a classic 1933-built full-rigged sail training ship operated by the Danish Maritime Authority. She operates with a student crew of 80 and serves as a training platform and as an overseas ambassador for Danish maritime.

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the most recently-delivered vessel in the ill-starred Freedom-class series of littoral combat ships. She is one of six Freedom LCS hulls not listed for early retirement.

 

U.S. Brig Niagara ends 2022 sailing season

Saturday marked the end of the sailing season for the U.S. Brig Niagara.

Forty daysail students participated in a trip around the Bayfront and out to the lake for an educational program.

The students learned about the Battle of Lake Erie and the building of the fleet dating back to 1813.

The captain of the daysail said that this season required all hands on deck, but he is proud of his crew that pulled together to make it possible.

“We have a great group of volunteers. We have a great staff, and because all of them were able to do this and I want to thank them and say how proud I am of all the work that’s gone into this sailing season,” said William Sabatini, Captain of U.S. Brig Niagara.

Sabatini said that Saturday was an appropriate day to close out the sailing season for the Niagara as it marks the 209th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie.

YourErie

 

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Two receive Mariner of the Year awards at Sault Ste. Marie ceremony

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – Two men with strong ties to the Great Lakes maritime industry were honored at a Mariner of the Year awards dinner Friday night in Sault Ste. Marie.

In opening remarks, James H.I. Weakley, president of the sponsoring Lake Carriers Association, said the event was meant to turn “Great Lakes heroes into Great Lakes legends.”

Honored were Kevin E. Sprague and Paul LaMarre Jr. Sprague served as the Soo Area Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers until his recent retirement. He not only oversaw the daily operations of the Soo Locks, he managed a badly-needed asset renewal project and saw the beginning of new lock construction.

Sprague began his federal career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, Soo Area Office in 1992 as a member of the St. Marys River branch, performing navigation channel maintenance. In 2000 he became the Chief of the Lock Operations Branch and eventually Chief of Lock Maintenance and Lock Operations. In 2010, he was selected as Soo Area Engineer. He spent his entire federal career in support of the Great Lakes shipping industry.

As Area Engineer he was responsible for the most important navigation project in the Great Lakes and Soo Locks. He was also responsible for federal hydropower facilities and was the onsite representative for the International Joint Commission’s Lake Superior Board of Control. His effort in support of the economic study for construction of a new lock at the Soo and telling its story was crucial for its subsequent funding. He retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2022, after a 30-year career at the Soo Locks.

Paul LaMarre Jr. comes from a family of Great Lakes sailors. He is a highly talented maritime artist, honored Great Lakes maritime historian and licensed tugboat captain. With more than 45 years of Great Lakes tugboat experience, he works for Detroit-based Gaelic Tugboat Co. and captains the passenger vessel Diamond Jack.

Mr. LaMarre has dedicated his life to the Great Lakes maritime industry past, present, and future. Following in the footsteps of his great uncles Frank and William Hoffman, both masters of Great Lakes freighters in the early 1900s, he has touched every aspect of the Great Lakes maritime trade and is highly regarded as an industry leader and historian.

His career began at the University of Detroit as an understudy to famed Great Lakes marine artist Fad1er Edward J. Dowling where he learned the principles of painting Great Lakes vessels in watercolor. His artistic talents would open the door to many industry friendships, the most important being that of Capt. William A. Hoey, who would introduce him to a career as the corporate treasurer of the Gaelic Tugboat Co. & Diamond Jacks River Tours. Working for Gaelic Tugboat Co. for over 45 years (1978 to present), he has also served as longtime captain of d1e MN Diamond Jack.

He was also a founding board member of Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. of Port Dover, ON which now operates one of the largest fleets on the Great Lakes.

In 2001, LaMarre was named Historian the Year by the Marine Historical Society of Detroit.

In 2013, received the International Shipmasters Detroit Lodge #7, Captain Lewis Ludington Award for his years of virtuous service. In 2015, the National Museum of the Great Lakes named LaMarre one of the Masters of Great Lakes Marine Art of the 20th Century as he has been the “industry’s artist” for over 50 years, completing commissioned works for nearly every Great Lakes fleet.

LaMarre has also inspired the next generation of Great Lakes leadership as his son Paul C. LaMarre III is a prominent industry advocate, port director and tug captain.

Plaques honoring both men will be installed in the Capt. John Wellington Marine Hall of Fame aboard the museum ship Valley Camp. The Great Lakes Hall of Fame is dedicated to the memory of those explorers, inventors, shipbuilders, sailors, and countless others who have made a contribution to the exploration and development of the Great lakes through the eras of sail, steam, and present.

Roger LeLievre

Great Lakes iron ore trade down in August

 CLEVELAND, OH – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.1 million tons in August, a decrease of 9.1 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments were also below the month’s 5-year average by 8.7 percent.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 24.2 million tons, a decrease of 24.5 percent compared to the same point in 2021.

Through August iron shipments are 22.5 percent below their 5-ye

ar average for eight months of the year.

Lake Carriers’ Association 

 

James Whalen tug raised from Kaministiquia River

THUNDER BAY, ON – Months after it sank at its berth along the Kaministiquia River, the historic James Whalen tugboat has been raised, though not without a notable mishap along the way.

Crews began lifting the 117-year-old boat using a heavy lift barge, cranes, pumps, and other specialized equipment on Thursday morning.

At one point in the raising of the tug Thursday, a cable attached near the front of the boat snapped, causing it to fall back into the river. The incident caused only a momentary setback, said Halvorsen. “There was a little bit of a setback this morning with the first approach at this, but then they quickly pivoted.”

Around 4 p.m., crews successfully raised the boat after another attempt, leaving it sitting upright as workers began setting up pumps.

The plan is to tow the vessel upriver to the Paterson

Dock, near the James Street Swing Bridge, on Friday – though the city cautioned that may depend on an assessment of the boat’s condition.

The boat has sat largely submerged on the river bottom since sinking on May 1.

After being raised to the surface using cranes and cables, crews used high-capacity pumps to remove water from the vessel.

The city awarded that job to LH North for $793,000. The company also contracted with Thunder Bay Tug and local outfit Big Lake Dive, which provided five divers to assist in the operation.

The need for specialized staff and equipment was one facto

r accounting for the delay in the boat’s recovery, said Cory Halvorsen, the city’s manager of parks and open spaces.

“We obviously wanted to get to this point sooner, it did take some time,” he said. “But as you can see, the amount of work and the complexity of it wasn’t conducive to just selecting someone and proceeding in a matter of weeks.”

The city has said the Whalen is expected to remain at Paterson Dock for one to two years as municipal leaders consider its future.

The Lakehead Transportation Museum has expressed interest in acquiring the vessel to house at its site near Pool 6.

TBNewsWatch

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Century-old James Whalen tugboat being raised at Thunder Bay after sinking this May

THUNDER BAY, ON – Work to lift the submerged James Whalen tugboat from the Kaministiquia River has begun. The crane-equipped heavy-lift barge Coastal Titan arrived at the Port earlier this week from Toronto.

The century-old tugboat, which the city has owned and kept moored along the river for nearly 30 years, took on water and then sank earlier this year. The city had put out a request for proposals to raise the ship, with a contract worth nearly $800,000 awarded last month to carry out the work.

Cory Halvorsen, the city’s manager of parks and open spaces, said rigging was put in place last week to prepare the tugboat to be hoisted by cranes. But he said those cranes, which are being brought to Thunder Bay onboard a barge, were delayed by heavy winds this weekend during their trip across the Great Lakes.

Once it has been lifted to the surface, the tugboat will be pumped out so it can once again float.

“At that point the plan is to transport the tugboat up the Kam River to Paterson dock, where it will be stored there temporarily,” Halvorsen said. The city has an option for the tugoat to be stored at that location for one to two years, Halvorsen added.

Before the tugboat’s sinking, the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society had lobbied the city to have the ship moved to its waterfront site where the Alexander Henry — a decommissioned icebreaker — is located.

CBC

 

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Queen Elizabeth’s death prompts memories of Great Lakes/Seaway visit

The death of Queen Elizabeth II Thursday reminded many on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway of a visit by the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, in 1959. On June 26, 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The British royals – Queen Elizabeth II was 33 at the time – had embarked on a six-week tour the month before, destined for many stops in Canada and one in the U.S.

The monarch’s 412-foot yacht steamed up the Detroit River, then up Lake Huron, passing under the Mackinac Bridge and down Lake Michigan before stopping for the couple’s first-ever visit to Chicago.

At the time of this trip, the royal yacht was just five years old. After traveling more than a million nautical miles, the floating palace was retired from royal service in 1997. It now has a permanent home as a tourist attraction in Edinburgh, Scotland.

 

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Lakes Limestone Trade Up 5.3 Percent in August

CLEVELAND, OH – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.8 million tons in August, an increase of 5.3 percent from 2021.  Limestone cargos were below the month’s 5-year average by 1.6 percent.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3.1 million tons, an increase of 3 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 740,122 tons, an increase of 16.3 percent.

Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 17.5 million tons, an increase of less than 1 percent compared to a year ago.  Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 13.8 million tons, an increase of 2.2 percent.  Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.7 million tons, a decrease of 4.6 percent.

Lake Carriers’ Association

 

Reserve now for MHSD’s Detroit River cruise on September 10

Join other members of the MHSD aboard the passenger vessel Diamond Queen, (captained by 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 10. We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic and, if conditions are favorable, go up the Rouge River (however, the Rouge is not guaranteed). Snacks and refreshments will be available on the boat.

Tickets are $28 ($30 at the dock if space is still available). Buy tickets online at BrownPaperTickets.com (put Marine Historical Society in the search box to find our event). 

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.

MHSD

 

Dan Vaught photo

Port of Monroe and partners strengthen Great Lakes short sea shipping network

MONROE, MI – The Port of Monroe (Port) recently commissioned a new Manitowoc crawler crane. Its first job was to load approximately 400 tons of special bar quality (SBQ) steel onto Interlake Steamship Company’s M/V Paul R. Tregurtha, the largest ship sailing the Great Lakes.

The crane was purchased with funds through the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Marine Highway program. MARAD designated the Port of Monroe as part of Marine Highway Route M-90 in 2016. As a Marine Highway, the Port and its stakeholders are committed to developing and expanding marine highway service options in the United States to expand the use of America’s navigable waterways.

This latest cargo evolution is a perfect example of how the Port is working with its industry partners and local stakeholders to create new short-sea-shipping opportunities on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway system.

“Every ton counts. Though small by volume, the enormity of this cargo evolution rivals anything that the Port has done in the last decade,” said Capt. Paul C. LaMarre, Port Director, Port of Monroe. “This trial cargo is the epitome of U. S. flagged, short sea shipping on the Great Lakes.”

The Port’s industrial partner and neighbor Gerdau Special Steel was looking for the most economical way to move SBQ manufactured in Monroe to their grinding ball mill in Duluth, Minnesota. The SBQ is used as a feedstock to manufacture grinding balls used in the mining industry.

The Tregurtha, one of the Port’s most frequent visitors, was identified as the perfect vessel to move the SBQ as it is on a dedicated route between Monroe and the twin ports of Duluth/Superior. The cargo was efficiently transported on an all-marine route, through the Soo Locks, saving at least 13,000 highway miles and 275 driving hours in truck resources on America’s congested roadways.

The port’s diversity will continue to grow through collective stakeholder efforts, a new heavy-lift crane and continued use of congestion-free Great Lakes marine highway routes.

Port of Monroe

 

Reserve now for MHSD’s Detroit River cruise on September 10

Join other members of the MHSD aboard the passenger vessel Diamond Queen, (captained by 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 10. We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic and, if conditions are favorable, go up the Rouge River (however, the Rouge is not guaranteed). Snacks and refreshments will be available on the boat.

Tickets are $28 ($30 at the dock if space is still available). Buy tickets online at BrownPaperTickets.com (put Marine Historical Society in the search box to find our event). 

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.

MHSD