Fednav signs agreement for 10 new lakers

Montreal, QC – Fednav Limited, Canada’s largest dry bulk shipping group, has signed an agreement with Sumisho Marine Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation Group) and Oshima Shipbuilding to build 10 new ocean-going lakers. The ships will be built at Oshima shipyard in Japan, with the first vessel expected to be delivered in mid-2023.

The new Fednav-Oshima designed super-eco lakers will emit 33% less carbon emissions than the vessels they will replace, including a nitrogen oxides (NOx) footprint at least 87% smaller. They will be delivered equipped with the latest technology, including Tier III engines and the capability of burning biofuels.

The new lakers will support Fednav’s sustainability goals, making them an essential asset for the future. “We are delighted to include these new vessels to our fleet to support the shipping industry and reinforce our commitment to the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway,” said Paul Pathy, President and CEO of Fednav. “These new vessels are aligned with our long-term strategy to invest in our future and support our transition toward more sustainable shipping.”

Fednav

906 Express ferry sinks at St. Ignace

St. Ignace, MI – The 906 Express, a 28 foot vessel owned by the Arnold Freight Co. in St. Ignace, had to be pulled out of the water after it sank on Tuesday.

When a boat sinks, it usually has to be retrieved fast before gasoline pollutes the water. The 906 Express, a commercial vessel, was going through some maintenance on Monday night, but when the morning came, it was found submerged.

The owners had to act fast when they made the discovery and quickly called an excavator to get the boat out of the water.

Marine Science Technician 2nd Class with the Coast Guard, James Himes said they usually respond immediately, but this time, the situation was taken care of before they even arrived. “The owner did a great job taking care of it and taking the potential of pollution out of the environment so we want to commend them for taking swift action and getting the boat out as quickly as possible,” he said.

Himes added they looked at the site and found no evidence gasoline leaked into the water.

9&10 News

Great Lakes iron ore, limestone trades up percent in August

Cleveland, OH – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.6 million tons in August, an increase of 55.9 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments were also above the month’s 5-year average by 1.5 percent.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 32 million tons, an increase of 31.8 percent compared to the same point in 2020. Through August iron shipments are 4.45 percent above their 5-year average for eight months of the year.

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.7 million tons in August, an increase of 1.9 percent from 2020.  Limestone cargos were below the month’s 5-year average by 5.1 percent. Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3 million tons, an increase of 5.7 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 636,327 tons, a decrease of 12.8 percent.

Year-to-date the lakes limestone trade stands at 17.4 million tons, an increase of 8.8 percent compared to a year ago.  Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 13.5 million tons, an increase of 6.5 percent.  Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.9 million tons, an increase of 17.9 percent.

Lake Carriers’ Association

Eisenhower Lock visitors’ center closes for season on Labor Day

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) has announced that public access to its Visitors’ Center observation deck at the U.S. Eisenhower Lock ends at 6 p.m. on Labor Day, September 6.

There are several ways to obtain up-to-date information on estimated vessel transit times:

Call 315-769-2422, for a voice recording of that day’s projected lockage schedule.

Review the Great Lakes-Seaway binational website at bit.ly/NavigatingTheSeawayMap, which updates every 15 minutes with details on ships currently in transit within the Seaway System.

Review lock-specific information at bit.ly/LockOrderOfTurn, which offers real-time information on vessels preparing to enter any of the locks (by pulling down the Order of Turn Information).

Paul LaMarre has transformed Port of Monroe against all odds

Monroe, MI – In eight years, Paul C. LaMarre III has transformed the Port of Monroe from a virtually dead place, used just to dump off coal for a utility company to one of the fastest growing and most vibrant ports on all the Great Lakes.

He’s opened new docks on the River Raisin leading to Lake Erie, built railroad spurs, and brought in vast amounts of new business — and won award after award for doing so.

The most expensive single item ever shipped on the Great Lakes, a huge, $60 million part for a generator for the Fermi II nuclear power plant, came in via his port in 2019.

But he’s done it all with one hand tied behind his back. For some reason, the Detroit office of CBP, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, does not allow the port to accept shipments of international maritime containers — a rule that applies to no other port in any other state. Technically, it also applies to the port in Detroit, but that port is really controlled by the Moroun family, who also own the Ambassador Bridge and a vast trucking empire.

CBP provides technical aid to the Moroun-controlled port, but nothing to Monroe. When Mr. LaMarre went to Washington to meet with Trump administration officials, other sources at that meeting indicated they were anything but helpful.

But there is a new administration now, Democrats control the U.S. Senate — and Michigan’s newly re­elected U.S. Sen. Gary Peters gets it. Like Mr. LaMarre, he is a former officer in the U.S. Navy.

He also is outraged about the way Monroe’s port has been treated. On Aug. 16, he came to visit the Port of Monroe and brought the acting commissioner of CBP, Troy Miller, and also a grant for $770,983 to help the port upgrade its cargo screening infrastructure.

That, Mr. Peters said, should be enough for the CBP commissioner in Detroit to drop the restrictions against Monroe, which, he noted, “undermines Michigan’s economic competitiveness.”

For years, Mr. Peters has pressed CBP for answers as to why Monroe is being held to a different set of standards. But things are markedly different now: In January, the senator became chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security.

“Wouldn’t every state like to have one of their senators as head of Homeland Security?” the 40-year Mr. LaMarre said. He added that the CBP official in charge of the Detroit office had never visited the Port of Monroe once in eight years. After the senator and the head of customs visited, “he was here twice in one week.”

“Look. This is a non­partisan issue. The port is apolitical. We need to be apolitical,” Mr.

LaMarre said. “Everything we do here is and needs to be in the best interests of the citizens, especially of Monroe.”

Indeed, those who know him say Paul LaMarre would much rather be clambering on board a freighter to check out cargo than sitting in a conference room. But when the senator and the head of Customs and Border Protection came to visit, he didn’t mince words.

“It is my goal today to ensure that the Port of Monroe and the state of Michigan receive fair and consistent treatment, and the semantics of whether a wood crate is a container are not an [excuse] for withholding fair and equitable treatment to the public we both serve,” Mr. LaMarre said.

Monroe is not a wealthy city, he noted — far from it. “We are a distressed community. You cannot compare a private border crossing owned by a multi-billionaire [the Moroun family] to a public terminal that is relentlessly trying to revive economic activity for the benefit of the citizens just beyond our gates. And yet [Customs] provides nearly every resource at its disposal with the state of Michigan to serve the operation of the for-profit billionaire at the taxpayers’ expense while treating a public port as second class.”

He said that as “a former naval officer, I understand the necessity of protecting our nation,” but said the port was already doing every­thing it can to minimize the risks.

There’s little doubt that Mr. LaMarre has not only revitalized Monroe’s port, which was created in 1932, but has taken it to levels never-before imagined. The St. Lawrence Seaway awards an annual pacesetter award to one of the many ports it serves; Monroe has won six out of the last eight years. The largest windmill manufacturer in the nation has made Monroe its main port.

What’s frustrating, however, is that the Monroe area lost $14.3 million in economic activity on one deal alone “because CBP suddenly claimed a crate is a container. The idea that every crate coming into the Port must have a hole cut into its side upon arrival so customs officers can look inside is inconsistent with the screening and inspection of crated break­bulk cargo anywhere else in the world.”

Few can match Mr. LaMarre’s knowledge of ports or the Great Lakes. He grew up in a maritime family; both his father and grandfather had careers on the lakes.

Prior to taking the Monroe job, he was manager of maritime affairs for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

Before that, he applied for the vacant position of executive director of the Willis B. Boyer, an ancient freighter that was a neglected and closed museum ship in Toledo. Naturally, he restored it. When he took the job as port director in Monroe, it had been vacant for 34 years. “I must love a challenge,” he said.

No one would deny that. He admits, however, that he wishes the U.S. government wouldn’t give him quite so hard a time.

Jack Lessenberry – Toledo Blade

Museum offering Labor Day free admission to union members

Toledo, OH – The National Museum of the Great Lakes will open its doors FREE on Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 6) to all union members and union retirees.

“The museum recognizes the importance of honoring the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements o the United States,” says the museum’s Executive Director Chris Gillcrist.

Labor Day is also the last day of the museum’s temporary exhibit Jim Hoffman: The Photographic Life of Toledo’s Original Boatnerd and the final day of Freighter Golf—a putt-putt hole-in-one challenge aboard the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship. Both the temporary exhibit and putt-putt challenge are included with museum ship admission.

Tickets can be purchased ahead of time online at nmgl.org, however reservations are not required. Proof of union membership will be requested upon arrival.

ADMISSION
FREE: Current & Retired Union Members (with proper identification)
$17.00 (Museum & Ship) / $11.00 (Museum Only) – Adults (18-64)
$16.00 (Museum & Ship) / $10.00 (Museum Only) – Seniors (65+)
$14.00 (Museum & Ship) / $8.00 (Museum Only) – Youth (6-17)
FREE – Children 5 and under, GLHS/NMGL Members

Steel production up nearly 20% this year

NW Indiana – Great Lakes steel production dipped by 2,000 tons last week, though U.S. steel mills remained at 85% capacity utilization, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

National steel output is up more than nearly 20% so far this year and more than 27% higher than at the same time last year, when steel mills sunk to just over half-capacity early in the coronavirus pandemic.

Steel mills in the Great Lakes region, clustered mainly along the South Shore of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana, made 636,000 tons of metal in the week that ended Aug. 21, down from 638,000 tons the previous week.

Overall, domestic steel mills in the United States made 1.877 million tons of steel last week, up 0.4% from 1.869 million tons the previous week, and up 27.2% compared to 1.476 million tons the same time a year prior, when the onset of the coronavirus pandemic shut down auto plants and other factories, greatly depleting the demand for steel.

So far this year, domestic steel mills in the United States have made 60.17 million tons of steel, a 19.8% increase compared to the 50.24 million tons made during the same period in 2020. U.S. steel mills have run at a capacity utilization rate of 80.4% through Aug. 21, up from 66.6% at the same point in 2020, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Steel capacity utilization nationwide was 85% last week, which was up from 65.9% at the same time a year ago and down from 84.7% a week prior.

Steel production in the southern region, a wide geographic swath that encompasses many mini-mills and rivals the Great Lakes region in output, totaled 815,000 tons last week, up from 799,000 tons the week before. Volume in the rest of the Midwest dipped to 201,000 tons, down from 202,000 tons the week prior.

NW Indiana Times

Duluth’s ore boat meets its namesake’s descendants

Duluth, MN – Before last week, three of William A. Irvin’s great-grandchildren had never been on his namesake ore boat, moored in the Duluth Harbor and one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

Irvin was president of U.S. Steel for six years in the 1930s. The 610-foot laker, christened in 1938, was the flagship of the steel company’s Great Lakes fleet, becoming the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center’s (DECC) floating maritime museum in 1986, eight years after its retirement.

When the siblings went through the attic of their parents’ Ohio home after their mother died last year, they discovered a treasure trove from Irvin’s past: a scrapbook with a Western Union telegram from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a 1934 Business Week magazine with Irvin gracing the cover and a first edition set of Napoleon Hill’s “The Law of Success,” based on interviews with some of Irvin’s likely influences, such as J.P. Morgan, who formed U.S. Steel.

Contemplating their great-grandfather’s steel industry prominence, “takes your breath away,” said Susan Barnett, of Dayton, Ohio.

Barnett and her sister, Cathie Hirsch of Detroit, and brother Robert Hirsch of Clearwater, Fla., traveled to Duluth last week to donate to the convention center several items they found in that attic.

Irvin was a regular guest on the ship with his second wife, Gertrude, said longtime tour guide and onetime Irvin crew member Cedric Woodard. He took Irvin’s family through the boat, including its elegant guest rooms and the oak-paneled dining room where opulent meals were served.

Jana Hollingsworth, Star Tribune

Cathie Hirsch tries out the steering wheel of the William A. Irvin ore boat in Duluth last week. Hirsch is one of three of William A. Irvin’s great-grandchildren who visited the boat and donated some of Irvin’s possessions to the maritime museum. Walking where William A. Irvin walked produced “chills,” the siblings said.

The sisters, who drove to Minnesota together saw the brick-red vessel for the first time at night, when it was lit against the dark sky. “We pulled up, and it was bigger than life,” Cathie Hirsch said.

The 2,000-horsepower Irvin was built by the American Ship Building Co. in Lorain, Ohio, and sailed the Great Lakes for 40 years. The 83-year-old boat recently had a face-lift: Without a working engine, rudder or ballast, it was tugged to Superior’s Fraser Shipyards in 2018 for restoration work, and brought back on a nail-biting journey in 2019. The boat cleared the narrow slip bridge opening with only inches to spare.

Most of the ship’s historical items are from crew members and their families. That’s why DECC internal operations director, Steve Rankila, was thrilled to get a call from Barnett with their findings. “We were very excited to have the Irvin family share their great-grandfather’s life with us,” he said.

Irvin had five children with his first wife, one of whom is the grandmother of Barnett, Cathie Hirsch and Robert Hirsch. Irvin’s 1952 New York Times obituary said the “self-made man” helped form the National Recovery Administration during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency that brought about fair business practices and empowered unions.

Under Irvin, U.S. Steel was the first Big Steel group to sign a bargaining contract with steel workers. He later became active in the National Safety Council where his work was said to have helped prevent millions of injuries and thousands of deaths.

He was pivotal in improving worker safety and supported unions, Barnett said, and in doing so, “he changed the lives of steel workers.”

Seeing the boat helped the great-grandchildren form a new connection to the man they once knew so little about, they said. Being here, Robert Hirsch said, “is very emotional.”

Read more here: https://www.startribune.com/duluth-s-ore-boat-meets-its-namesake-s-descendants/600088453/

Great Lakes’ water temperatures soaring with recent hot weather

The hot weather in the past week, coupled with sunshine and light wind, have boosted the Great Lakes’ water temperatures. The western third of Lake Erie has warmed up to 80 degrees, or even higher in spots. The southern end of Lake Michigan is at least 75 degrees. Even Lake Superior, which always seems to have cold water, is up to 60 degrees in the coldest spots. The southern shore of Lake Superior has warmed up to around 70 degrees. Southern Lake Michigan has warmed into the mid-70s, and should get warmer over the next week.

Read more at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/weather/2021/08/great-lakes-water-temperatures-soaring-with-recent-hot-weather.html?fbclid=IwAR2veqgkGMWh2Xj0QImama8uLkSovbLabEeJPb-tBB41pyo5b1MO6FpvmY4

Duluth port sees ‘vigorous rebound’ as taconite shipments push records

Duluth, MN – The Port of Duluth-Superior has bounced back from last year’s pandemic slump with a standout start to the Great Lakes shipping season, driven largely by taconite shipments. Total tonnage through July reached 15.2 million tons — 31% above 2020 levels and 12% above the five-year average.

“It’s been a good first half of the shipping season so far and a vigorous rebound from the COVID challenges of 2020,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Last year the port recorded its lowest tonnage totals since 1938.

“It’s been especially good to see iron ore tonnage jumping back above the five-season average,” DeLuca added, “because it’s a bellwether of positivity for our port and our region as a whole.”

Iron ore shipments from the port to steelmakers around the Great Lakes have reached 9.5 million tons so far in the shipping season, which began in March. At that pace it could be one of the strongest years in a decade.

“The outlook for iron ore appears steady,” said Duluth Seaway Port Authority spokesman Jayson Hron. “The first-half tonnage doesn’t faithfully predict the second half, but there are no major indications of a slowdown in sight.”

Taconite comprises the majority of the cargo that is shipped from the Port of Duluth-Superior, the busiest port on the Great Lakes.

U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs, which mine and process all the taconite produced on Minnesota’s Iron Range, have both reported record-setting starts to the year. That’s a sharp reversal from the drop in steel demand and steep losses that led to hundreds of layoffs at Iron Range mines last summer.

“Demand for steel is very strong across all sectors, and strong demand supports strong prices,” Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves told investors in a July earnings call after the company reported a record $780 million quarterly profit. “Most of our customers are experiencing record profits and learning that higher prices are good for pretty much everyone in the supply chain.”

U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt said in a July 30 earnings call the 120-year-old company “has its best days ahead” after its best quarterly results — a $1 billion profit — in more than a dozen years.

Across the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway, officials said grain is the cargo to watch in the second half of the season, as shipments are substantially behind last year’s pace.

The Port of Duluth-Superior in recent years moved an average of 1.3 million tons of grain annually but so far this season has shipped just 377,000 tons — 40% of last year’s tonnage through July.

“Crop quality, yields and pricing, as well as transportation pricing, will combine as they always do to affect shipments for the remainder of the year,” Hron said. “We’re monitoring the drought conditions to see what effect that will have on crop yield and pricing in the Upper Midwest as

Read the story here: https://www.startribune.com/duluth-port-sees-vigorous-rebound-as-taconite-shipments-push-records/600091171/

Lake Superior Summer: Blue-green algal blooms come to a lake once believed immune

On a calm morning in late summer 2019, Jim Bailey was kayaking on Lake Superior near Thunder Bay, Ontario, when he found himself paddling through thick green scum, the likes of which he’d never seen in those waters. Puzzled, he headed into the open bay where he could see green patches stretching out about 3 kilometers.

Bailey – recently retired as coordinator of the local Remedial Action Plan Office – had his suspicions about what he was seeing. It had been his job to oversee a government office tasked with identifying and controlling local sources of pollution.

He emptied his water bottle, scooped up some scum and headed for shore. Ten minutes after handing his sample to Lakehead University for analysis, his suspicions were confirmed – it was cyanobacteria, a type of algae that can produce toxins harmful to people and wildlife.

“I’ve lived on the lake my entire life, and I’d never seen algae before,” said Bailey. “I knew if it was algae, it would be a landmark and not a good one.”

The incident was the first documented case of a cyanobacteria bloom along Lake Superior’s northern shore in Canada. The previous summer had seen reports of a massive bloom of cyanobacteria – also known as blue-green algae – on the southern side of the lake in the United States.

“The 2018 bloom was the largest ever recorded on the lake,” said Robert Sterner, director of the Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota Duluth. “One hundred kilometers of shoreline turned opaque green. It was quite extraordinary.”

As the deepest and most northern of the Great Lakes, Superior was once thought immune to algal blooms. It was considered largely devoid of algae-promoting nutrient runoff from surrounding land. But more importantly, it was just too cold, even in summer.

Today, Superior is one of the fastest warming lakes in the world, said Sterner.

Still, it was a shock when the first report of blue-green algae came in 2012, on the shoreline in Wisconsin near the Apostle Islands. There have been several minor blooms since then, the biggest one happening in 2018. This year, a mild winter and hot start to the summer means Superior’s waters are warmer than normal, possibly setting the stage for another substantial bloom.

Read the full story here: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/lake-superior-summer-algae-bloom/

Spliethoff adds container vessel Peyton Lynn C to Cleveland Europe Express service

Spliethoff is increasing the frequency of its Cleveland Europe Express (CEE) service by adding container vessel Peyton Lynn C to the service, in response to the high demand for tonnage between Europe and the Great Lakes. This vessel, owned by Doornekamp Shipping Services, will be taken on long term charter by Spliethoff, sailing in a regular schedule between the ports of Antwerp (Belgium), Picton ON (Canada) and Cleveland OH.

Spliethoff is increasing the frequency of its Cleveland Europe Express (CEE) service by adding container vessel Peyton Lynn C to the service, in response to the high demand for tonnage between Europe and the Great Lakes. This vessel, owned by Doornekamp Shipping Services, will be taken on long term charter by Spliethoff, sailing in a regular schedule between the ports of Antwerp (Belgium), Picton ON (Canada) and Cleveland OH (USA).

The CEE service has been offering twice-monthly quick-transit all-water sailings between Europe and various Great Lakes ports for many years, catering to a broad range of consumers and industries.

Until now, the service has run mainly with Spliethoff-owned versatile multi-purpose tweendecker vessels, able to carry a variety of cargo types. By adding container vessel Peyton Lynn C, the CEE is expanding its capacity to transport exclusively containers to/from Picton, Cleveland, and Antwerp.

Peyton Lynn C loaded in Antwerp Monday for her maiden voyage in the CEE service. Once loading is complete, the vessel will head to Doornekamp’s terminal in Picton to discharge cargo, continuing to Cleveland for discharge and loading before subsequently heading back to Antwerp. Transit time is just 12 days to Picton and 15 days to Cleveland.

Spliethoff

Cuyahoga has close call with sailboat at Port Huron

Danger signs sound as Canada’s bulk carrier Cuyahoga making a sharp turn towards the bridge and a quick maneuver by the sail boat at the last minute averted a collision in Port Huron, Michigan. Video courtesy StreamTimeLive.

Final days or Jim Hoffman exhibit at Toledo

The last day to visit the temporary exhibit sharing the photographic life of Toledo’s late Jim Hoffman is Monday, September 6th. Get more information 👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/250198516542493

SS Badger car ferry resumes service after COVID pause

Manitowoc, WI –The SS Badger car ferry  headed across Lake Michigan on its normal cruise Thursday after suspending operations when an employee tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.

Officials for the car ferry service — which carries passengers to and from Manitowoc and Ludington, Michigan — announced Aug. 10 they were pausing trips and an employee was quarantined on shore as soon as managers learned the worker had been exposed to the virus.

“Our SS Badger will be underway tomorrow and will resume her daily crossings,” spokeswoman Chrissy Kadleck told the Herald Times Reporter Wednesday. Passengers with reservations for the time the SS Badger was docked were encouraged to reschedule or request a refund.

Sara Spore, SS Badger general manager, said in a news release that a crew member tested positive for the coronavirus and the company conducted contact tracing. Three additional crew members were also quarantined.

“The safety of our employees and passengers is our top priority,” said Mark Barker, president of Interlake Maritime Services, which operates the Lake Michigan car ferry, in the release.

Passengers can call 800-841-4243 to adjust bookings. Spore said reservations can be changed up to and until Oct. 10, which ends the 2021 season, without additional fees.

“We do not take your business for granted,” she said in the release. “We appreciate your understanding in these difficult times, and we urge you to be patient with our reservation agents as they work hard to assist the many impacted customers.”

Read the story and view a video here: https://www.htrnews.com/story/money/2021/08/18/ss-badger-lake-michigan-car-ferry-resumes-manitowoc-ludington-service/8182679002/

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway ports see uptick in wind cargoes

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway has seen a rise in ship transits this year thanks in part to an increase in wind energy cargoes, boding well for American and Canadian ports and economies in the region.

Great Lakes Seaway Partnership on Wednesday reported navigation statistics since the opening of the shipping season on March 22 through July. In the first 4 months, the critical seaway connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes region saw 1,733 total transits and 16.7 million tons, up 6.2% and 4.6%, respectively, compared to 2020.

Commodities seeing an increase included iron ore, containers, steel, and wind energy cargo. The ports of Erie, Burns Harbor, and Duluth received wind energy cargoes on eight ships.

“July was a good month for project cargo moving through the Seaway System, with a notable resurgence in shipments of windmill components,” said Craig H. Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “The wind energy supply chain continues to be strong, with vessels bringing these cargoes from five different countries last month. Exports of iron ore remain strong due to sustained worldwide demand, and steel tonnage continues to be robust, driven by activity in the manufacturing and construction sectors.”

The increase in wind energy cargoes through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway was also apparent during the 2020 navigation season. The Port of Duluth-Superior, for example, saw an increase of 219,000 freight tons in wind cargo compared to 2019, making it a top hub wind cargo. Indian’s Port of Burns Harbor saw a total of 45 shipments wind cargoes.

Last month, the Port of Duluth-Superior had its largest July “float” since 2015, increasing to 4.2 million short tons of maritime cargo and pushing the port’s season-to-date tonnage total over 15.2 million through July 31. This marked 6% above the five-season average and 40.5% ahead of last season’s pace. Through July, vessel arrivals in the Port of Duluth-Superior totaled 334, outpacing 2020’s count by 28.5%.

“It’s been a good first half of the shipping season so far and a vigorous rebound from the COVID challenges of 2020,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “It’s been especially good to see iron ore tonnage jumping back above the five-season average, because it’s a bellwether of positivity for our port and our region as a whole.

“Each ore ship carries between $7 million and $8 million in ore value, so while they’re moving a key raw material of everyday life, they’re also moving a sizable amount of commerce for our communities and the North American economy,” added DeLuca.

Ryan McCoy, Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor port director, said his port had a “fantastic” July.

“International vessel tonnage increased 228 percent compared to last July 2020. Year-to-date, Burns Harbor is up more than 115 percent in our seaway/maritime business. Overall, all Burns Harbor tonnage is up 24 percent. With this influx, our customers are taking advantage of the versatility of our Port and properties. We are able to offer unique storage options within close proximity to their processing facilities that they couldn’t find outside of our port setting. All indications point to a robust end of the year and strong 2022 shipping season, as well.”

Read more here: https://gcaptain.com/great-lakes-st-lawrence-seaway-sees-uptick-in-wind-cargoes/?fbclid=IwAR13b0pjpznYwKtYtLiPYXv-zrSadQuStzf_wOHodnTFBmov86cDscBQQ1w

Pipeline protesters prevent Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge from rising

Duluth, MN – The Aerial Lift Bridge was prevented from rising at midday Thursday by protesters who refused to get off the bridge.

The Duluth Police Department says the bridge was not able to function for about 30 minutes. The protesters initially refused to get off the bridge but eventually complied without incident after speaking to officers. No arrests were made.

For safety reasons, pedestrians are not allowed on the bridge when it rises to allow ship traffic through the canal. The bridge normally rises on the hour and half-hour, as well as at other times for large ships.

Police pulled resources from their Kids, Cops, and Cars event, happening nearby in Bayfront Park, to respond to this incident. “Demonstrating peacefully and showcasing people’s First Amendment is a right to all and our officers are here to ensure safety for everyone,” the department said in a statement to media.

The incident followed a march against Enbridge’s Line 3 that began near the St. Louis County Courthouse and ended at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building, which is adjacent to the Lift Bridge.

View photos here: https://www.wdio.com/news/pipeline-protesters-prevent-aerial-lift-bridge-from-rising/6213135/?cat=10335

Real-life version of cartoon tugboat Theodore Too to visit the St. Clair River

St Clair, MI – Theodore Too will be making some stops along the St. Clair River next week. The popular life size replica of the famous cartoon tugboat, Theodore Too, has been making stops all through the Great Lakes area. On Wednesday the 25th, the tugboat will visit Grand Bend Pier in Lambton Shores. Theodore will then visit Point Edward and Sarnia Next Saturday the 28th and Mooretown on Tuesday August 31st. Up close viewing will take place from 9am to 6pm each day. The tugboat’s tour is not only to bring joy to kids of all ages but also to raise awareness for the Great Lakes maritime industry which is currently facing a shortage of professionals. For more information, visit www.ontbluecoast.com/theodore.

How to ship-watch in the Twin Ports

Duluth, MN – Watch the video here:  https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/business/tourism/article7155708.ece?fbclid=IwAR3sX5Ot5KLWdZDjVBmX_zGpbaxGdPzM9q_kjGuERtHNBR0h-JorSvUBsow

USS Cod returns home to Cleveland

Cleveland, OH – After $1 million in repairs over 63 days, WWII submarine USS Cod has returned to its home in Cleveland. It docked in Cleveland just before 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The USS Cod received repairs to the underwater hull, including refurbishment of 10 torpedo tubes, ballast tank plating, and a new hull coating system donated by Sherwin-Williams.

“We’re extremely grateful to the staff at Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair Co. for their efforts to ensure our submarine will remain a proud memorial to the men and women of America’s armed forces,” said Cod President Paul Farace. “We also cannot thank Sherwin-Williams Co. enough for the donation of their world-class marine hull coating products to ensure Cod is shipshape for future generations,” he added.

The Cod was towed out of its Cleveland dock on June 13.

The tug Manitou brought her home assisted by another tug in moving the 1,400-ton submarine back into her dock at 1201 N. Marginal Rd. on North Coast Harbor.

The Cod will open for tours as early as Thursday. A homecoming ceremony will take place at Cod’s dock Sunday at 1 p.m.
Read more and watch video here: https://fox8.com/news/uss-cod-ready-for-return-to-cleveland/

Thursday: Songs and Stories of the Great Lakes with Lee Murdock in the Virtual Visitor Center

Lee Murdock’s performances create unforgettable images of work and play as they coexist on the Great Lakes today, with cargo ships and pleasure craft of all sizes sharing the waters of America’s fourth coast. Lee combines historical research with contemporary insights to create songs that both document and pay tribute to the people who live, work, and play along the Great Lakes today.  Join us to hear some of his favorite songs and the stories behind them in the Virtual Visitor Center August 19.

This free program begins at 12:30 EDT (11:30 CDT) at  https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/lee-murdock. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association.