2 Soo-based tugs and a barge are among
those offered for sale by Corps of Engineers

Detroit, MI – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, is providing a public notice of its intent to dispose of three vessels, the tugs Whitefish Bay and Owen M. Frederick, the barge Harvey, and its previous disposed of gatelifter Paul Bunyan at the St. Marys Falls Canal (Soo Locks), in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

All four vessels have reached the end of their use lives, and the vessels are no longer capable of completing the work needed to keep the Soo Locks operational. Refitting or rehabilitation

of the vessels was determined to not be fiscally feasibly compared the acquisition of new purpose-built vessels. Additionally, the continuously changing needs of the Soo Locks has made the four historic vessels too small to successfully fulfill the ongoing mission at the Soo Locks.

The vessels will be offered for sale, then as scrap, and finally, if no buyers are found, the USACE will determine the best avenue for scrapping and disposal. The date for removing the four vessels from service is anticipated to be fall of 2025 and likely disposal date of spring of 2026.

Two new tugs are expected to take up station at the Soo this season.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District

Michigan lawmakers might intervene in cost of Mackinac Island ferry rides

Michigan lawmakers are weighing whether to dive into a legal fight over the cost of riding ferry boats to and from Mackinac Island, with both sides of the debate accusing the other of price fixing and a new parking rate increase possibly going into effect Tuesday at the height of the summer tourism season.

Legislators said the company that now controls all of the ferries that offer the public regularly scheduled trips to the island has set up a monopoly and used the lack of competition to hike fares, parking charges and luggage fees. During a June 12 committee hearing, state Sen. Joe Bellino, R-Monroe, said the cost he paid for parking and a ferry ride from St. Ignace to the island made him feel “like I bent over and grabbed my ankles.”

In 2022, the Hoffmann Family of Companies purchased Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry. Two years later, in June 2024, Hoffmann Marine announced it had acquired the Mackinac Island Ferry Company, formerly known as the Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry Company. One court filing from lawyers for Mackinac Island described the Hoffmann Family of Companies as “a sophisticated private equity firm with business in 30 countries.”

Dennis Cawthorne, a lobbyist, former state lawmaker and longtime chairman of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, argued the actions by the Hoffmann company, chaired by the billionaire David Hoffmann, would “economically strangle the island,” which draws more than 1 million tourists each year.

“It’s imperative that they act as quickly as possible,” Cawthorne said of the state Legislature on Monday, a day before a new round of fee increases for parking was expected to take effect at Shepler’s.

Read the whole story here: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2025/06/30/michigan-lawmakers-might-intervene-in-cost-of-mackinac-ferry-rides/84414347007/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLQ3TtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFNSDJ1bTZpYjZxemphTmpsAR6RddDwEw0u8bzjm1HYooO6MICxtdgt02p-YOy5A2EWkGPLcuakyca7AUURrw_aem_bq15u02SFk_uLczMBDfFeA

Great Lakes Icebreaker Funding Cut from Senate Bill

Michigan Representative Bill Huizenga is leading efforts to restore funding for a new Great Lakes icebreaker that was included in the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill but omitted from the Senate’s version.

“While the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill supports the Coast Guard’s request for a Great Lakes icebreaker, the current Senate language cut it while funding other icebreakers,” Huizenga stated in a tweet.

The Michigan congressman emphasized the economic importance of adequate icebreaking capability on the Great Lakes, noting that “The U.S. economy lost more than $1 billion and 5,000 jobs in the 2018/19 winter alone due to inadequate icebreaking on the Great Lakes.”

Huizenga and colleagues from the Great Lakes region have sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Thune and Chairman Cruz requesting the Senate maintain support for the icebreaker. The letter highlights that the Senate bill “includes funding for every category of icebreaker requested by the U.S. Coast Guard in the reconciliation bill except the Great Lakes icebreaker.”

Currently, the Coast Guard operates three polar icebreakers, 21 domestic icebreakers, and 16 ice-capable buoy tenders. The first new heavy icebreaker in 50 years is under construction at Bollinger Shipbuilding in Mississippi, with completion expected around 2030.

The Coast Guard’s broader strategic vision includes building a fleet of eight to nine polar icebreakers as part of the President’s initiative to acquire at least 40 new icebreakers.

In their appeal to Senate leadership, the Great Lakes delegation emphasized that “Efficient commerce on the Great Lakes is critical to American steel production and manufacturing with implications that extend far beyond the Midwest.”

gCaptain

Little Sailors Day brings maritime fun and learning to Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie, MI – The second annual Little Sailors Day at the Original Soo Locks Boat Tours in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday was filled with fun and educational activities for people of all ages.

The lot was filled with several exhibits ranging from interactive demonstrations to learning the ropes of working on a Great Lakes freighter to mastering essential water safety skills and so much more.

The Ojibway Supply Boat was docked and allowed people to board and check out the vessel.

For a special treat, the Valerie B tug (owned by Kokosing Construction) gave those on shore a special water display by shooting out water using all three of its fire nozzles.

One of the many highlights of the event was the National Guard’s participation. According to the Original Soo Locks Boat Tours, the National Guard 14th 37th 1437MRBC took part in Little Sailors Day. Members of the guard showcased their heavy equipment and offered free boat rides for kids.

The National Guard uses various types of boats, including the Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM-8) and the newer Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) (MSV(L)). These boats are designed for cargo operations and can carry significant loads, making them essential for military logistics. Kids had the unique opportunity to experience these boats firsthand and enjoy free rides with the National Guard.

Lori Mason took her 7-year-old son, Mason, to the event. Mason has been a Boatnerd since he was three after seeing the Paul R. Tregurtha at Rotary Park. However, his favorite freighter is the James R. Barker.

“He has been here all day. It makes him happy.  It means everything to him. He got to go on the Ojibway Supply Boat, which is something you normally don’t do. He also got to talk to Chrissy Kadleck from Interlake,” Lori said. Interlake Maritime Services, through its subsidiary Soo Maritime Services, owns Original Soo Locks Boat Tours.

Roger LeLievre, from Know Your Ships, was also hand with books and free stickers for the kids.

Michelle Briggs, Chief Park Ranger at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was on-site demonstrating water safety.

“One of the most important missions for Park Rangers in the Army Corps is water safety. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the largest provider of outdoor water recreation in the country, and we take it very seriously that people be safe in and around the water. We have several water safety activities here, plus we are also giving our ‘Water Safety Pledge’ where the children take a promise to always be safe around the water, never swim alone and always wear a life jacket. Then they get a water-safety goodie bag.” Briggs explained.

To top it off, OSLBT offered free tour boat rides up to two children under 17 per adult.

Sheila Merchand, Business Manager at OSLBT, started the inaugural event back in 2024.  This year, she wanted something bigger and better.

“It was good last year, but we just wanted to expand. Norris Seward helped out a lot by getting most of these vendors here. We wanted to make it more than just a thing for little kids, but for everyone to learn about the entire maritime industry and not just the freighters,” Merchand said.

Soo Leader/Jim Lehocky

View photos here: https://www.sooleader.com/local-news/little-sailors-day-brings-maritime-fun-and-learning-to-sault-ste-marie-10881322?utm_source=Villager&utm_campaign=Content&utm_medium=Facebook_Graph&fbclid=IwY2xjawLPvNpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFlTWQ2b2tNNUtZS3dwR0Y3AR5Ny4j_370zpG3Ut9Z1MDGUTXMFFiHy6Em5zHKy6xt3IVt54fHJL38_K2bpLA_aem_2cwB13zJek6nkSEa4F-b_w

Archaeologists unearth remnants of historic tram at Split Rock Lighthouse

Archaeologists working at Split Rock Lighthouse have discovered the remnants of an old rail tramway that was used to transport building materials from barges on Lake Superior up the steep bluff during construction of the historic lighthouse more than a century ago.

The discovery was made during restoration work at the lighthouse over the past several weeks that make improvements to pathways and walkways and create new scenic viewpoints of the lighthouse and the rugged Lake Superior coastline.

The work will also create a place where visitors can view the old hoist and derrick system that brought materials up from the water when the lighthouse was built in 1909. From there the gear was loaded on the tramways, or short rail lines, to finish the journey to the lighthouse.

Crews unearthed footings of a tramway, including railroad ties and spikes, underneath an asphalt path.

“I would say we were definitely surprised,” said Jen Rankin, director of archeology for the Minnesota Historical Society.

“It’s pretty incredible to get a feature like that. I will say this is definitely probably one of my top ten historic archeology and historic sites to have a feature like this still intact.”

Workers also found an old sidewalk that once linked the lighthouse keeper’s house to one of the original barns at the site — “an outstanding find,” Rankin said.

The discoveries will help better tell a complete story of the lighthouse, how it was built, and what life was like there in the early 1900s to the more than 150,000 people who visit the historic site every year, said Hayes Scriven, the site manager for Split Rock Lighthouse.

“To actually see some of the original railway ties and the railroad spikes that these keepers and these builders were using, is really meaningful and powerful for us,” said Scriven.

“It really brings that history that’s 115 years old, to 2025, right now.”

Archaeologists will continue working at the site throughout construction this summer. Rankin is particularly interested in searching for evidence of the families who lived at the lighthouse keeper’s house.

“We are actually encountering a lot of children’s toys in those excavations,” she said.

Those kinds of details, Scriven said, allow staff at the site to “tell a much more complete and much more personal” story.

Lake Erie’s Goodtime I freed from Buckeye Reef

PUT-IN-BAY — A local ship grounded on a lake reef was freed on Friday. The Goodtime I ran aground on Buckeye Reef near Ballast Island in Lake Erie on Thursday.

The incident was reported at about 5 p.m., according to Lt. Kyle Rivera, a United States Coast Guard public affairs officer. Ballast Island is east of Middle Bass Island and northeast of South Bass Island.

Just before 4 p.m. on Saturday, Rescue Marine, a naval salvage company based in Lakeside Marblehead, announced that the vessel was freed.

“Our captains, Jake Dunfee, Cory Schenk, Dustin Mulligan and Cole Heffernan worked long hours to complete this complex salvage operation,” a social media post from the company states.

Attempts to free the vessel on Thursday were unsuccessful, Rivera said.

Further attempts were scheduled for Friday. The vessel was freed at approximately 10 p.m., according to the post.

The attempts on Friday included lightening the vessel. About 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel were removed from the ship, according to Rescue Marine.

The tugboat Prairieland, from the George Gradel Company, pulled the Goodtime I free of the reef, the post states.

After the vessel ran aground on Thursday, ships from the coast guard, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Sonny S removed 107 passengers and six crewmembers from the stricken Goodtime, Rivera said.

A scheduled Friday evening cruise set to depart from Sandusky, where the vessel is normally docked, was cancelled due to the grounding. Sunday’s scheduled cruise was also canceled, according to the boat’s operator, Joe Lamb.

Sandusky Register

Fun-filled Engineers Day despite chilly, damp weather

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – The weather may have been chilly and damp Friday for the annual Engineers Day event, but visitors still came to Sault Ste. Marie to take part in the celebration of the engineering marvel known as the Soo Locks.

The event, which ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., was hosted in partnership with the city of Sault Ste. Marie and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It celebrates the engineers who built the locks, along with the men and women who maintain them today.

Linda Hoath, executive director of the Sault Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she was pleased with the turnout despite the rain — and the fact that, unlike previous years, the public was not allowed to walk across the locks.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made that decision last week, citing an abundance of caution due to uncontrollable circumstances and a need to prioritize public safety.

“We managed well. I thought the weather was going to be a lot worse, but it wasn’t,” Hoath said. “At 9 a.m., the rain pretty much ended and we ended up with just drizzle. It was a beautiful day with all the people here. People came from all over. I was walking around and looking at the license plates on the cars — they were from all over, so it was a good day. At our Sault Area Convention and Visitors Bureau booth, we heard no complaints about not being able to walk across the locks.”

Jeremy Tabor and his family made the trip from Huron Township, just southwest of Detroit, to take part in the festivities. They visited Engineers Day for the first time in 2024 and were eager to return this year.

“The oldest is seven. The youngest is four-and-a-half. And they absolutely loved it,” Tabor said. “That’s the reason why we came back. They enjoy freighter watching, the boat watching. They’ve turned into a couple boatnerds themselves. I enjoy it. Mom enjoys it.”

Events extended from the Soo Locks east along Portage Avenue to the Carbide Dock, where an official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at 10 a.m.

Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Don Gerrie was among several dignitaries who spoke about the significance of the $40 million in improvements to the historic site on the St. Marys River.

“Sault Ste. Marie is proud to be a major component of the national waterway transportation system and is also the start of the I-75 highway system,” Gerrie said. “Today we are here to celebrate the completion of a critical project to rehabilitate the 135-year-old Carbide Dock and its connector road, Easterday Avenue.

“The dock was built in 1890 as the deep-water port for the Lake Superior Carbide Company, which merged with two other companies to form Union Carbide in 1898. The dock was expanded in 1924 and used in the company’s continued operations until the 1960s.”

Gerrie noted that the dock’s reconstruction was designed to last 100 years, using a 65-foot marine-grade steel sheet pile seawall anchored into bedrock. A secondary wall was added to support the seawall and prevent bowing. The dock face is now 775 feet long, with a 340-foot west end, large enough to accommodate lake freighters and cruise ships.

“The amenities include hookups for full fire protection, potable water, a sanitary sewer dump station, and full shore power facilities to service any ship that docks,” Gerrie said. “It also features modern charging stations for electric recreational vehicles and tugs. This unique project marries an industrial marine port with educational programming at the LSSU CFRE and recreational park space, including a safe public fishing site.”

Soo Leader

Lake Erie cruise ship stuck on reef Thursday, passengers evacuated

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio — A Lake Erie cruise ship was grounded on a reef Thursday, while authorities are still trying to remove the vessel from where it became stuck.

According to Goodtime Boat – Lake Erie Island Cruises, its vessel Goodtime I got stuck on a reef around 5 p.m. Thursday. It appears to be stranded in the vicinity of South Bass Island.

Along with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and a Good Samaritan, the Coast Guard evacuated six crew members and 107 passengers from the ship. There were no reported injuries.

Now, the Coast Guard and Goodtime are working to remove the ship from the reef where it became stuck. They said they are attempting to remove fuel from the boat to make it lighter, so that it will float and become unstuck from the reef.

The Coast Guard described this as an ongoing investigation. They are still working to learn how the ship became grounded.

WTOL

Surviving the Michipicoten: A Retired Engineer’s Story from Lake Superior 

Now retired, Kent Knechtel, a former second engineer aboard the freighter Michipicoten, recounts the day a 13-foot hull crack changed everything. Thanks to calm waters, clear skies, and the swift response of the United States Coast Guard, disaster was narrowly avoided. One year later, Kent reflects with gratitude and quiet resolve on the incident that marked the end of his decades-long career sailing the Great Lakes. This video is brought to you through a partnership with Detroit Public TV’s Great Lakes Now.