Hard-to-reach Crisp Point Lighthouse open for the season

Crisp Point Lighthouse, one of Michigan’s most beloved, off-the-beaten-path lights, opened for the season Sunday, May 18.

Crisp Point Lighhouse, one of about 120 lights on Michigan’s shores, is about 36 miles by road northwest of Paradise and Tahquamenon Falls on the shore of Lake Superior, east of the Two Hearted River Campground. The remote location is a favored trek for many, down narrow dirt roads that are only open during the summer.

Crisp Point Light Historical Society President Cameron Lovett said volunteers are still working on getting the lighthouse, gift shop and grounds ready for tourists.

Lovett said visitors intent on making it to the light this week should be aware of road conditions.

“Weather is cooler this weekend, with rain expected tonight so the roads may be a little muddy,” he said.

Here’s what to know if you hope to visit.

What is Crisp Point Lighthouse?

Crisp Point was one of five Lake Superior U.S. Life-Saving Service Stations along the coast between Munising and Whitefish Point. It’s located about 14.5 miles west of Whitefish Point. It was built in 1875 and became operational in 1876.

Crisp Point inherited its name from one of the Life Saving Station keepers, “an iron-willed boatman” named Christopher Crisp.

Crisp Point Lighthouse was first proposed in 1896 and every year thereafter until finally approved in June of 1902.

Originally crowned with a red fixed 360-degree fourth order light, the lighthouse tower stands 58 feet from its base to the ventilator ball of the lantern. The tower sits on a concrete foundation 10 feet deep. The Fresnel lens was made by Sautter & Lemonnier of Paris, France. When it was operational, the light produced a focal plane 58 feet above the mean low water level of the lake.

In 1939, the United States Lighthouse Service disbanded, and lighthouse administration became the United States Coast Guard’s responsibility, Tahquamenon Country’s website notes. At that time, Crisp Point had life-saving station and quarters, a two-family brick light keeper’s dwelling with a basement, brick fog signal building, oil house, two frame barns, boathouse and landing, tramway, lighthouse tower and service room entrance. The U.S. Coastguard destroyed all but the light tower and service room in 1965.

Lansing State Journal

Will the money come to finish the Soo Lock expansion in Michigan?

May 15, 2025

Lester Graham, Michigan Public

One of the Great Lakes region’s most critical pieces of infrastructure is in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan on the St. Mary’s River which connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron and eventually to the rest of the lakes. The Soo Locks (the colloquial name) on the river handle up to 1,000-foot-long ships carrying bulk freight from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan to ports throughout the Great Lakes region. The product many of those ships carry is taconite.

Taconite is low-grade iron ore that’s mined and processed into pellets. It is the
most important source of iron ore in the U.S.

The only lock capable of handling those long freighters is the Poe Lock.

“The Poe came online in 1969, [so it’s] well over its 50-year design life,” explained Carrie Fox, Public Affairs Specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which operates the locks.

Much of the taconite that is hauled through the Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Mariecomes from the Mesabi Range in Minnesota. The low-grade iron ore is processed into pellets at plants like this one in Silver Bay, Minnesota. (Lester Graham/Michigan Public)

A new lock is under construction.
In February, I was given a tour of the site by Corps personnel.

“It’s around negative 10 [degrees F] with the wind chill today, but we’ve still got crews out there,” said Rachel Miller, supervisory engineer of the new lock project.

We headed out the door into the brisk wind off of Lake Superior and into one of the biggest federal construction efforts in the Midwest right now.

Cash Flows: Industry, Ecology, and the Future of the Great Lakes Blue Economy

It almost was not funded.

Despite knowing that each year, 80 million tons of goods go through the Sault Ste. Marie locks, including that critical iron ore, updating them did not seem to be a priority in Washington.

In 1986, Congress first authorized construction of a new lock at Sault Ste. Marie. Some preparatory work was funded in 2009. But, Congress seemed in no hurry to commit serious money to the project.

That changed after the Department of Homeland Security issued a report in 2015. It found:

One (of) the Nation’s most economically vital systems, the iron mining –integrated steel production – manufacturing supply chain, is also potentially the least resilient.

A disruption of the Poe Lock likely will cause an almost complete shutdown of Great Lakes steel production.
A shutdown of Great Lakes steel production likely will cause almost all of North American appliances, automobile, construction equipment, farm equipment, mining equipment, and railcar production to cease within weeks.

The disruption would likely result in widespread bankruptcies and dislocations throughout the economy. Almost 11 million people would likely be unemployed because of the impact and the North American economies would likely enter a severe recession.

The economic impact of the loss of the Soo Locks (the colloquial name for the structure) would not be limited to Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, where most of the steel mills are located.

There likely would be a $100 billion hit to the economy in Texas because of the loss of the major source of steel for products. Pennsylvania and New York would face roughly $50 billion in damage to each state’s economy. Unemployment in Michigan would reach 20%. Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee would experience unemployment rates of about 15%. States as far away as California would be affected.

Canada would also be hurt financially because its ships, as well as ocean-going international ships, depend on the Sault Ste. Marie locks to move goods to and from the ports in Lake Superior.

It would be bad for the U.S. It would be bad for Canada. And, it would have some impact on trade beyond the Great Lakes.

“So basically, the Soo Locks meet the definition of critical infrastructure in probably the most robust way you can imagine,” said Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat, and one of the leading proponents of building a new additional lock.

Congress approved funds for building the new lock eight years ago. Construction began in 2020.

The USACE hired contractors, Kokosing Alberici Traylor, which now have completed phase two of the three-phase project.

The construction of the new lock faced a lot of challenges. Sault Ste. Marie is remote. The major population centers in the region, Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland, are hundreds of miles away. Finding construction workers, getting the massive amount of materials and equipment to the job site, and coordinating work without interrupting a major shipping channel were just the beginning of the hurdles for the megaproject.

“We’re building under the level of the river in the middle of the river. So, we’re essentially creating a bathtub in order to work inside and it’s a massive one,” said Miller.

The 500 construction workers must be ferried to and from the new lock job site that’s in the middle of the river each work day.

To complicate things, there’s a hydro power plant that provides electricity for about 20% of the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A new bridge to carry the large power lines had to be constructed without causing unscheduled outages.

Workers also had to remove an old lock while not disturbing the Poe Lock next to it.

Digging and blasting a long, wide, and deep trench out of the red Jacobsville sandstone and other material in the exposed St. Mary’s River channel was another major challenge.

Complicating things further was the economy.

“Record inflation in our nation … an extreme nationwide labor shortage, a robust nationwide construction workload really stretched contractors thin,” said Mollie Mahoney, the senior project manager.

Those unexpected cost increases have driven up the price for the lock more than three times the original cost. The approved authorization in 2018 was just over $1 billion.

“The last authorization was in 2022. And at that point, the project was authorized at $3.219 billion,” Mahoney said.

The lock construction is facing an upcoming financial deadline. Under the current Continuing Resolution budget in Washington, the money for the new lock needs to be allocated before September 25th of this year.

“If those contracts aren’t executed by then, you have to be in the next appropriations bill,” said Senator Peters, adding, “It is really challenging right now to know what the Trump administration will or will not do.”

Peters said he will be working with congressional colleagues in a bipartisan way to ensure the money is there. Although, a House Republican budget plan severely restricts the funding for the project, which could delay completion. The Detroit News reported that one Michigan Republican Member of Congress suggested the USACE could reallocate funds for the project.

It’s presumptive to say what Congress and the White House will do about paying for the completion of the new Sault Ste. Marie lock. It’s anyone’s guess.

Given the amount of money spent on the nation’s highway system, there are arguments that this new lock is a bargain.

“Just the efficiency of moving goods via our maritime transportation system and the location of the Great Lakes, we’re at a great point to connect to the rest of the country,” said Erika Jensen, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission, an agency representing the eight Great Lakes states and two

Canadian provinces. She added that the Great Lakes ships use less fuel per ton of cargo than a train and much less than a truck would use.

The Great Lakes shipping industry say a ship can carry one ton of cargo 607 miles on one gallon of fuel. The rail industry’s numbers indicate a train can carry one ton of cargo more than 480 miles on one gallon of fuel. Trucks vary widely in efficiency, but a figure often cited is one gallon of fuel will carry a ton of cargo 134 miles.

Ask the captains.
In designing the new lock, the USACE invited some of the U.S.-flagged Great Lakes ships’ captains to a research facility with navigation simulators to get feedback on different approaches to the lock entrances and the different configuration of the lock under consideration.

Guiding a 1,000-foot-long ship, carrying 80,000 tons of bulk cargo into a narrow entryway to the lock is not as easy as the people in the pilot house make it look Design features of the lock matter.

“And our captain made some recommendations on how to deal with the wind conditions and the approach wall,” said Jim Weakley, president of the Laken Carriers’ Association.

He said once the lock is completed, the system will pick up some efficiencies because it’s quicker to move ships through two locks than using just one lock, but that’s just a marginal gain.

“The real big importance of this project is system resiliency,” because of having a backup lock if one fails.

The irony is, that won’t happen immediately. After the new lock is in service, the old Poe Lock will go out of service for a few years for a major overhaul to ensure its reliability in the future.

Mollie Mahoney, the USACE project manager, said the Corps engaged the shippers at every major design step. Taking five freighter captains to the Engineering Research and Design Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to use the simulator was helpful.

“It actually led to us changing the length of our upstream approach wall based on the feedback we got from that ship simulation study.”

Mahoney said the ship captains seem to be looking forward to the new lock. With a grin, she added, “I think they’re already fighting over who gets to go through the new lock first.”

New Book Tells Lake Michigan Shipwreck Stories

After chronicling dozens of Great Lakes shipwrecks over the years, maritime historian Michael Schumacher turned his focus to the lake just outside his window – Lake Michigan, the most shipwreck-laden of all the Great Lakes.

In the recently published book Along Lake Michigan: Shipwreck Stories of Life and Loss, Schumacher tells the stories of ships lost to fire, storm and human error across more than a century of maritime history. 

From the fiery wreck of the Phoenix in 1847 to the catastrophic Armistice Day storm of 1940, Schumacher’s storytelling reveals how Lake Michigan’s shallow waters and busy commercial corridors made it both a vital artery and a deadly trap.

Door County Pulse

INTERVIEW: Cargo ship chef dishes about her adventures on the Great Lakes

Some cooking students dream to one day land their dream job as chef in a fancy restaurant. But one chef has made a decades-long career cooking aboard ships on the Great Lakes. I recently talked with Katherine Schmuck who started the conversation explaining how a chance meeting in a bar got her culinary career started.

Read the story, listen to it and view images here:  https://radio.wcmu.org/local-regional-news/2025-05-14/cargo-ship-chef-dishes-about-her-adventures-on-the-great-lakes?fbclid=IwY2xjawKUq5NleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFieTY4MThPNHJJREduMXF0AR7Ui0i7zxjLxds4fFlb5GLYEBkbNELLgBw2m1f9_ZobcnVO7H9WR_Wu9zoNFQ_aem_6JROikfRoQDtqY3RD7wqlg

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State of Michigan departs for training cruise

 TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Fifty-one cadets from Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy plus a culinary intern from the Great Lakes Culinary Institute will depart aboard the T/S State of Michigan on the first of two training cruises this Saturday, May 17. The ship is expected to depart the Great Lakes campus harbor at 8 a.m.

 The training ship will be at sea through Aug. 15, providing an opportunity for about 90 cadets to earn required sea time. Cadets must earn 360 days of sea time during their four-year program. GLMA and GLCI have also collaborated for several years to offer internships to NMC culinary students during the sailing season. GLCI students who have completed an underway internship are in high demand by the shipping industry. A Culinary Maritime certificate that expanded opportunities for students in this specialty area began in Fall 2023.

 As one of only six state maritime academies, Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy educates and trains deck and engineering officers for the U.S. Merchant Marine. Graduates earn a bachelor’s degree, and an unlimited tonnage/horsepower merchant marine license. Read more about the Academy and see the cruise itinerary at nmc.edu/maritime.

 Northwestern Michigan College

Sail-fitted saltie Vectis Progress now in the Seaway

The saltwater vessel Vectis Progress, with her groundbreaking new sail system, is on her way up the Seaway, destination Oshawa, ON.

She’s sailed the Seaway many times before, but not looking like this.

UK’s GT Wings has installed its first AirWing wind propulsion system onboard a general cargo vessel owned by Carisbrooke Shipping, reaching “a major milestone in sustainable shipping.”

The vessel is marking the beginning of a transatlantic journey to Canada to showcase the real-world impact of wind-assisted propulsion, GT Wings said.

As disclosed, the company’s founder and CEO George Thompson will be onboard Vectis Progress all the way across the Atlantic to Canada, monitoring AirWing’s performance in real-world conditions. He will share insights, data, and firsthand experiences throughout the voyage.
Courtesy of GT Wings

“Every tonne of thrust generated by the wind means less reliance on the engine and fewer emissions in the air,” said George Thompson. “Wind propulsion isn’t just an environmental decision—it’s an economic one. The cost of non-compliance is rising, and integrating wind assistance is a no-brainer for forward-thinking shipowners.”

According to GT Wings, the Air Wing wind propulsion technology is designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions for commercial shipping, offering a practical and cost-effective solution to compliance with tightening regulations and decarbonization objectives.

The technology, backed by £3.7 million in funding through the UK government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4), aims to reduce emissions in the maritime sector by up to 30%.

“This journey represents a significant step forward in proving the viability of wind propulsion at scale. The maritime industry faces mounting pressure to reduce emissions, and AirWing provides a scalable, retrofit-friendly solution that can be installed on a wide range of vessels,” the company stated.

Ship Junkies – Lakes, Locks & Rivers (LL&R) and GT Wings

Bipartisan Bill Aims to Modernize Coast Guard’s Merchant Mariner Credentialing System

U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Mike Ezell (R-MS-4) have introduced the Mariner Exam Modernization Act, legislation aimed at overhauling the Coast Guard’s Merchant Mariner Credentialing exam system.

The current licensing process has faced criticism for being outdated and burdensome, requiring candidates to demonstrate competencies multiple times through both hands-on assessments and a seven-part written exam. This redundancy has been identified as a barrier to entry for new mariners and takes time away from more contemporary training needs, such as cybersecurity.

The proposed legislation directs the Coast Guard to develop and implement a modernization plan within 270 days of receiving recommendations from a dedicated working group.

“The maritime industry continues to evolve and change, but the Coast Guard’s licensing exam hasn’t,” stated Brian Schoeneman, Chairman of USA Maritime, who highlighted that the act will help align testing with the realities of serving in the 21st century merchant marine.

The initiative has gained support from key maritime organizations, including the Transportation Institute and the Navy League of the United States. The Consortium of State Maritime Academies has specifically highlighted how the legislation will reduce redundancy between The STCW Code and the National Exam, while eliminating outdated subject requirements.

The bill comes at a critical time when the maritime industry faces a workforce shortage, with the current exam system including obsolete content and lacking a modern review system.

gCaptain

Debris in Steering System Causes Bulk Carrier’s $2 Million Collision with Navigation Aid

Mike Schuler
May 13, 2025

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that a piece of O-ring-type material debris caused a steering system failure that led to a bulk carrier’s collision with a navigation aid in Michigan’s St. Marys River.

The incident occurred on March 28, 2024, when the bulk carrier American Mariner struck the Munuscong Channel Junction Light near Sault Ste. Marie. The collision resulted in the vessel taking on water, though crews successfully stabilized it using pumps. The accident caused approximately $800,750 in damage to the vessel and $1.25 million in damage to the navigation structure.

Fortunately, none of the 18 crewmembers were injured, and no pollution was reported.

The American Mariner was on its maiden voyage of the season after completing winter maintenance, which included the installation of a new steering control system. During the voyage, the crew noticed intermittent steering system alarms but could not identify their cause, as the rudder appeared to be responding correctly to commands.

American Mariner’s automatic identification system trackline and upbound transit in St. Marys River on March 28, 2024. Munuscong Channel Junction Light is not to scale. (Background source: MadeSmart)

American Mariner’s automatic identification system trackline and upbound transit in St. Marys River on March 28, 2024. Munuscong Channel Junction Light is not to scale. (Background source: MadeSmart)

Post-incident investigation revealed that the vessel’s No. 1 control motor, responsible for controlling the main hydraulic pump’s stroke, had failed. Upon disassembly, technicians discovered black, pliable debris lodged between the control motor’s rotating gears, preventing proper operation. The steering system returned to normal functionality after the installation of a replacement control motor.

Electronic technicians later recalibrated the steering control system, which resolved the alarm issues, suggesting there were also problems with the calibration parameters of the newly installed control system.

The Munuscong Channel Junction Light, which serves as a critical navigational aid in the St. Marys River, consists of a navigational light and signal mounted on a fixed concrete structure.

The NTSB has released the full details of their investigation in Marine Investigation Report 25-18.

Link to report:   https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2518.pdf

Sault News

Victory Cruise Lines ship christened
Monday at Navy Pier before Great Lakes voyage

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago is now a cruise ship destination. The ship Victory II was christened Monday morning at Navy Pier. It was believed to be the first overnight cruise ship ever christened at the pier.

“It’s majestic to see a boat like this at Navy Pier. It’s not something you’re used to seeing,” said Jordan Engerman, Choose Chicago, VP of partnerships.

It’s a smaller, higher-end cruise ship, geared toward adults who will travel on all five Great Lakes between Chicago and Toronto. Some of the other stops include Mackinac Island, Detroit, Cleveland and Niagara Falls. It can hold 190 guests, is 300-feet long and has 92 crew members.

A 10-night cruise starts at $6,500 a person and offers passengers a glimpse at the history of the region.

“We go from Chicago up to Escanaba to Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie, Detroit, Cleveland, Niagara Falls and Toronto,” Victory Cruise Lines founder and CEO John Waggoner said.

Waggoner, who was born in Elgin, said people can expect to catch either the Victory I or Victory II coming through Chicago about every week and a half.

Waggoner says passengers will see the Great Lakes in a way they’ve never experienced. “Look at all the shipwrecks and the clear water, and you get to go to Door County and Sturgeon Bay, and then you get to hear about ship-building and building 1,000-foot freighters that can’t get out of the Great Lakes,” Waggoner said.

For Chicago, the cruise offering is another tourism driver. When the ship is docked, it serves as a big billboard to more than 9 million people who visit Navy Pier every year.

“Navy Pier is a huge regional attraction; now adding this just gives another reason for people to come to Chicago, another way to get here, another experience to come through the Great Lakes, through Lake Michigan,” Engerman said.

Visit victorycruiselines.com for more information.

ABC Eyewitness News

Watch the news report here: https://abc7chicago.com/post/great-lakes-cruise-chicago-victory-ii-ship-christened-navy-pier-monday-before-voyage-toronto/16394501/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKQImtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFPRTFiallaWVVTQWpBWWVQAR76K_QdTsjH8jin1bVyZD1OE9_Mcb0x-XzFFx61AWrrqBKykjU9nr65GvVAoA_aem__ue2PtVH9ITVvANbAjQA6A

Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Down in April

CLEVELAND – Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 3.7 million tons in April, a decrease of 18.7 percent compared to 2024.  Shipments were 19.1 percent below the month’s 5-year average. 

Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at 6.7 million tons, a decrease of 25.1 percent compared to a year ago. Through April, iron ore shipments are 17.4 percent below their 5-year average for four months of the year.

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.

‘I did not expect to find a shipwreck!’ says boy whose treasure is being excavated

Andrea Bellemare · CBC News · Posted: May 10, 2025

Lucas Atchison found metal spikes on a Lake Huron beach with a metal detector

During a family trip to Point Farms Provincial Park north of Goderich, Ont., in 2023, Lucas Atchison was using a metal detector that he got as a gift for his birthday, when he found something big and old.

“We were on the beach, we got our metal detector out, and as soon as we set it up, ding! It was a spike from the shipwreck,”  Lucas said, who is now 10. 

He recalls alerting his dad, who at first thought the spike may have been used to tie up a boat. But Lucas wasn’t convinced, and the pair started digging deeper. What they found was more spikes attached to wood.

“Then Dad told me, ‘Lucas this is a shipwreck,'” the boy explained. “When I woke up that morning I did not expect to find a shipwreck!”

Dad Jason Atchison said they reported the find to provincial parks staff, and then reached out to the Ontario Marine Heritage Committee (OMHC), a non-profit volunteer group dedicated to recording and preserving marine history.

This week, with Lucas keeping a close eye on the work, excavation on the shipwreck began with an OMHC team digging to see exactly what Lucas found.

Excavation work begins

The approvals process to dig takes time, with regulatory requirements needing to be met, according to marine archeologist Scarlett Janusas and marine historian Patrick Folkes.

They first met the Atchisons in the fall of 2023 at the beach to show them where they should be looking. Then, on Wednesday, a group of volunteers from the OMHC arrived with heavy machinery supplied by the provincial park, and then switching to hand shovels, trowels and brushes to see what the sand had buried.

So far, Janusas said they found a smaller portion of the ship than they had hoped, but determined the section was frames from the side of the ship.

“We had double frames, which seems to suggest that it was stronger-built ship and we believe that it was a schooner,” said Janusas. “A schooner is usually a two-masted sailing vessel, usually wooden.”

Maybe the St. Anthony?

There wasn’t enough of the ship to definitively determine its identity, but Folkes says one candidate is the schooner St. Anthony.
“[It] was wrecked in October of 1856 on a voyage … from Chicago to Buffalo, New York, with a load of grain,” he said. “It was described as having gone ashore four miles north of Goderich, which fits about where this wreckage is, and this would only represent a very small piece.”

The volunteers will complete scale drawings of the wreck, including a plan view (from on top) and profile (side view) of the wreck.

Folkes says that 19th century insurance requirements would specify how many fasteners, or spikes, should be placed in the frames and at what distance. Those details, he said, will help determine the ship’s age.

What comes next might be surprising. The volunteers will then rebury the ship to preserve it.

“We fill the hole back in, bury it and create an anaerobic environment, i.e. without oxygen, so you don’t have any kind of parasites in there or any other organisms that will eat or destroy the wreckage,” said Janusas.

“It’s not a perfect solution but it does maintain the structure of that ship probably for at least another 50 years.”

Video Spotlight: Know Your Ships and its long-time editor

Author and documentarian Wes Oleszewski chats with Know Your Ships book Editor and Publisher Roger LeLievre. Listen here:

Vandals strike at Seul Choix Point Lighthouse 

An Upper Peninsula lighthouse on Lake Michigan was vandalized this past week, members of the Gulliver Historical Society said in a Facebook post.

On Saturday, the group posted several photos on Facebook showing spray- painted words on signs and buildings at the Seul Choix Point Lighthouse historic site, which also remains an active light on the northern shore of Lake Michigan.

“Defacing a historical building does nothing for your cause,” the group said in one post. “Now we have to use more money that is all donation based to fix the mess. Please care about history more than this. Also…we have cameras. Have a great day!”

The group shared photos of the words “BLACK LIVES MATTER” spayed in pink paint onto the side of a brick auxiliary building.

In addition, a sign at the road was painted with wavy lights, symbols and the words “love,” and “wake up.”

Most Great Lakes face below-normal water levels
after reaching lows not seen in over a decade

Water levels on most of the Great Lakes are below their long-term average for this time of year as they’ve fallen to levels not seen in more than a decade.

Lakes Michigan, Huron, Superior and Ontario are about 4 to 6 inches below the long-term average as of Friday. Lake Erie is the only lake that remains above normal, but it could fall below average later this summer.

Keith Kompoltowicz is the chief of hydraulics and hydrology for the Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He said Lake Superior fell below average last August while Lakes Michigan and Huron have remained below normal since October.

He said the lakes are well below record high levels that occurred between 2019 to 2021. Wisconsin’s shoreline communities spent an estimated $86 million on damages due to flooding, erosion and storms.

“This is really the first time since 2013 or 2014 that we’ve seen levels in the system below average,” Kompoltowicz said.

Water levels on the lakes rose between 2 to 7 inches from last month as they continue their seasonal rise, but levels still remain below normal.

At the end of February, all lakes were below average for the first time since the end of March 2014, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Kompoltowicz said drier than normal conditions in the last two years have meant less rainfall and runoff making its way into the Great Lakes.

Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron saw greater-than-normal declines this winter, which was one of the top 20 driest in Wisconsin. The drop in water levels is leaving behind larger beaches and shallower water in certain areas.

Barry Moreland, owner of Southport Marina in Kenosha, estimated that water levels are down 18 inches to 2 feet. He said because of that drop, they are discouraging racing sailboats with deep keels from coming into the marina.

“Just to be on the safe side, we just tell them if you’re over 7 feet [deep below the water line], just don’t bother coming because we don’t want them to get stuck,” Moreland said.

Wisconsin Public Radio

Video Spotlight: Know Your Ships and its long-time editor

Author and documentarian Wes Oleszewski chats with Know Your Ships book Editor and Publisher Roger LeLievre. Listen here:

Ontario boat company secures deal for 30-min transit from Toronto to Niagara     

TORONTO, ON – An Ontario boating company is one step closer to launching a ferry that will take passengers from Toronto’s waterfront to central Niagara in just 30 minutes.

Hoverlink Ontario has officially secured its Toronto docking site, marking a major milestone for travellers and commuters along this route.

The service is set to become the first large-scale hovercraft transit system in North America and is designed to move passengers across Lake Ontario in just half an hour.

According to the release, this new route will cut down travel time by up to 90 per cent compared with driving or taking a bus or train.

“It truly is connectivity without congestion,” said Chris Morgan, Hoverlink’s founder and CEO.

Hoverlink estimates the hovercraft will take more than 8,000 vehicles off the QEW every day, helping to ease one of Ontario’s busiest traffic corridors.

“We are extremely pleased to finally provide a fast, reliable and sustainable transportation solution that connects tourists and commuters in only 30 minutes,” Morgan said.

There are 279,000 single passenger rush hour trips per day driving over the Burlington Bay James N. Allen Skyway Bridge in each direction and 72 per cent of those are commuting to Toronto.

With the capacity to serve three million passengers annually, the company says this service will also unlock new economic and tourism opportunities across the Golden Horseshoe.

Each climate-controlled craft will carry up to 180 passengers, run 18 hours a day with up to 48 trips and travel at speeds of up to 100 km/h over water, land or ice.

The service will be available year-round,

“The rapid transit service is a transformative step forward—unlocking tourism growth, accelerating economic development, and finally delivering the high-speed waterfront connection Toronto and Niagara have long needed.” said Erika Portz, president of Hoverlink. “The project is really about giving people their time, instead of spending it stuck on the highway.”

In addition to cutting travel time, the service is also designed with sustainability in mind.

Each hovercraft ride is expected to consume approximately 200 litres of biodiesel per trip, resulting in a 99 per cent reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to car travel.

“Waterfront connectivity has been underutilized in this province,” Portz added.

Some experts are raising questions about the project’s financial viability.

Baher Abdulhai, professor at the University of Toronto and transportation systems expert, said he likes the concept and sees no major technical barriers. However, he suggested that affordability will ultimately determine the service’s success.

“Is it technically feasible? Why not. I don’t see big hurdles other than economic feasibility,” said Abdulhai. “The big question on my mind is ticket price. For this to be economically feasible and plausible, how much would the ticket be? Is it going to be affordable for the masses and commuters or just for tourists?”

He pointed to the Union Pearson Express rail link, which faced early criticism for its $22 ticket price before a fare reduction improved ridership.

“That was public money—it didn’t have to be profitable,” Abdulhai said.

“For the hovercraft, it remains to be seen what the ticket price will be, which will determine how many will use it and its effectiveness as a new mode of travel alleviating congestion.”

With docking sites now secured in Toronto, and Niagara being shovel-ready, Hoverlink is moving into the next phase of its launch preparations.

The company expects hovercraft manufacturing to take roughly 18 to 24 months, putting the service on track to operate once construction is finalized, pending approval from the City of Toronto.

Global News

Video Spotlight: Know Your Ships and its long-time editor

Author and documentarian Wes Oleszewski chats with Know Your Ships book Editor and Publisher Roger LeLievre. Listen here:

Cleveland-Cliffs’ $483M loss prompts layoffs,
plant idling, renewed focus on auto steel

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland-Cliffs is temporarily cutting hundreds of jobs after reporting a significant loss in the first quarter of 2025 and plans to close underperforming plants in multiple states as part of cost-cutting efforts.

The Cleveland-based steel manufacturer on Wednesday reported a $483 million loss for the first three months of 2025.

As a result, the company said it intends to pull back on “non-core” functions and pursue a renewed focus on its “core” business of steelmaking for the auto industry.

The company, one of North America’s largest steel producers, reported its revenue for the quarter was $4.6 billion, up from $4.3 billion in the previous quarter. It still posted an adjusted loss of $456 million, which is greater than the $332 million loss it experienced in the last quarter of 2024.

Cleveland-Cliffs President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves blamed the losses on underperforming operations, and lower steel prices at the end of last year and early this year.

“… As a result, we are taking decisive action to streamline our operations and enhance efficiency,” he said in a statement. “This will drive meaningful fixed cost savings and sharpen our focus on our core strength: supplying steel to the automotive industry.”

Goncalves, in his Wednesday statement, again praised President Donald Trump, saying tariffs support the American steel and automotive industry. He said Cleveland-Cliffs has secured larger orders from automakers thanks to federal efforts to boost U.S. vehicle production.

“Cliffs is uniquely positioned at the intersection of these two industries,” Goncalves said.

Now that is has secured higher-volume commitments from automakers, it expects to improve profits in late 2025, Goncalves said.

Meanwhile, the company is changing its approach to what it described as “non-core” markets, such as rail, high-carbon sheet and specialty plate products, Goncalves said.

The company pulled back on plans for a transformer production plant in Weirton, West Virginia, that was expected to start production in 2026 and create 600 jobs. The plant had been idled temporarily in February 2024.

Cleveland-Cliffs also announced other operational changes in response to the losses, including the idling of six facilities.

This week, the company announced the full idling of two facilities in Pennsylvania and one in Illinois, causing about 950 employees to be laid off starting around June 30.

In March, the steel manufacturer announced plans to temporarily stop operations at two of its mines in Minnesota, resulting in 630 temporary layoffs.

Soon after, the company announced the idling of facilities at Dearborn Works in Michigan, where another nearly 600 steelworkers were expected to be laid off starting in May.

Cleveland.com

Trump memo seeks to protect Great Lakes from invasive carp, backs barrier project

Washington ― President Donald Trump on Friday is expected to sign a memorandum directing his administration to take steps to block invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes, signaling support for a construction project in Illinois that would install barriers to prevent the carp from infiltrating Lake Michigan.

In a fact sheet provided first to The Detroit News, a White House official said the memorandum directs the administration to “expeditiously implement the most effective mechanisms, barriers, and other measures to prevent the migration and expansion of invasive carp in the Great Lakes Basin and the surrounding region.”

President Donald Trump speaks after David Perdue was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to China during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Washington.

The memorandum explicitly expresses support for a $1.15 billion project at the Brandon Road Lock & Dam in Joliet, Illinois, that would install several methods to serve as a barrier to the carp, “provided that the State of Illinois does not stand in the way of its construction.”

The swipe at Illinois comes several months after Illinois postponed signing paperwork with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for land acquisition that’s needed to proceed with the project’s construction, after Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker cited the uncertainty of funding from the Trump administration.

Pritzker’s office at the time indicated it was seeking written reassurances from the Trump administration that the federal government would “uphold their end of the bargain” after officials froze hundreds of millions in federal funding promised to the state for various projects following Trump’s inauguration.

The director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on Feb. 10 postponed a closing in which the state was scheduled to acquire title and authorize the U.S. government to access the land rights needed for the first part of the project.

“I have a responsibility to protect Illinois taxpayers,” Pritzker said in a February statement. “We cannot move forward until the Trump administration provides more certainty and clarity on whether they will follow the law and deliver infrastructure funds we were promised.”

The Detroit News

Lake Michigan’s Lake Express ferry is open for the season

MUSKEGON, MI — Michiganders and Wisconsinites don’t have to suffer through Chicago traffic to see each other. For more than two decades a faster, more scenic route has become an underrated travel hack: Lake Michigan’s “fast ferry.”

The Lake Express, the high-speed catamaran car ferry that connects Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Muskegon, Michigan, has officially set off for the season.

The Lake Express goes coast-to-coast in 2.5 hours, a fraction of the drive time from Muskegon to Milwaukee which is about 4.5 hours. The ferry brands itself as the fastest shortcut to avoid Chicago traffic frustrations.

The shortcut through the Great Lakes is entering its 22nd season, which will run through October. At a top speed of 34 knots for the 80-mile journey that translates to about 39 miles per hour. The ferry carries up to 250 passengers. For vehicles, the common configuration is 44 vehicles and 12 motorcycles.

The Lake Express saw its traveler numbers bounce back post-pandemic, making its 20th season a banner year in 2023.

In its first weekend out for 2025 the Lake Express carried travelers from 21 U.S. States and two Canadian Provinces, according to its Facebook post.

The ferry crosses the big lake four times, departing from Milwaukee and Muskegon once in the morning and once in the afternoon each, seven days a week.

M Live

Federal New York Makes First Trip to Lake Superior

Fednav Ltd.’s 2024-built bulk carrier Federal New York was upbound at the Soo Locks early Friday afternoon. She was bound for Thunder Bay to load either grain or potash.

The vessel was built by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., with newbuilding and project management services handled by Anglo-Eastern Technical Services (AETS). She has a deadweight tonnage of 34,763 and is specialized to trade in the Great Lakes.

Federal New York is one of several vessels the Montreal-based Fednav has brought into service this year and last.

Know Your Ships

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Water came in’: 60 years ago, the freighter Cedarville sank in the Straits of Mackinac

Brendan Wiesner
Sault Ste. Marie News

MACKINAW CITY — On May 7, 1965, the SS Cedarville sank beneath the waters of the Straits of Mackinac after a collision just one mile east of the Mackinac Bridge. Of the 35 crew on board the bulk carrier that day, 10 were killed.

On the 60th anniversary of the tragic sinking, let’s revisit the famous ship, what led up to the fateful collision and the aftermath.

The SS Cedarville plied the waters of the Great Lakes for almost 40 years, ferrying loads of limestone from port to port. The ship started its career as the A.F. Harvey, and was the fleet mate of the Carl D. Bradley when it sailed for the Pittsburg Steamship Company before being transferred to the Bradley Transportation Company in 1956.

In 1964, the captain of the Cedarville was supposed to be Elmer Fleming, who was one of two survivors from the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley in 1958. When Fleming stepped on board the Cedarville for the first time, it’s said that he stood there for a moment, then turned around and walked off.

“There were two survivors of the Bradley, Elmer Fleming was one of them. Fleming was supposed to be captain of the Cedarville, but when he got on he realized it was not for him and he got off right away,” said Sean Ley, development officer of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.

Fleming resigned his position and never publicly gave a reason for doing so. First mate Martin Joppich became captain and led the crew on the Cedarville’s final voyage.

The final voyage

 In May 1965, the Cedarville began its final voyage from Rogers City, Michigan on its way to Gary, Indiana.

As they got underway, heavy fog moved into the area and caused low visibility. In fact, it’s reported that two ships had grounded near the Soo Locks and another had crashed into the Gray’s Reef Lighthouse.

As they entered the busy straits, the Cedarville was in communication with other passing ships. One warned them that they would soon encounter the MV Topdalsfjord. Even with the warning, miscommunication between the two ships led the Cedarville and the Topdalsfjord into a collision.

Collision

 Although the ships tried to avoid each other by changing course and ordering a full reverse, their intentions were not clearly communicated to each other. The Topdalsfjord struck the port side of the Cedarville, creating significant damage below the waterline and causing the ship to flood.

“Great Lakes ships at the time didn’t have bulkheads, so water came in and flooded the cargo hold,” said Ley. “Water came in and started weighing it down to the point where it was too dense to sail properly.”

The ship began to list to one side, and efforts to save the ship proved futile. Although Joppich tried to beach the Cedarville, it could not make it the 4 miles to land.

At 10:25 a.m., without an order to abandon ship, the Cedarville sank beneath the waves.

Aftermath

 Ten of the crew were killed in the wreck. The rest were plucked from the frigidly cold water by the nearby MV Weissenburg. One of the problems they faced was the cold. Hypothermia was why they lost 10 men,” said Ley.

According to the May 7, 1965 edition of the Petoskey News-Review, “fog was so thick, air search was virtually impossible. Bystanders on the shore were unable to tell what had happened because of the thick fog and could not give an accurate picture of what happened,” the article stated.

The next day, the News-Review interviewed Ivan Trafelet, a watchman from Rogers City, who survived the sinking. “We didn’t see the Norwegian ship until it was practically into our side,” Trafelet said in the May 8, 1965 article. “We blew one blast but she didn’t answer us.”

Trafelet said he was thrown into the icy water and it took 30 minutes for him to be picked up.

“I had swallowed a lot of water and had just about had it,” he said. “They had to lift me into the boat. We were fully lucky the German ship was so near.”

Later, a U.S. Coast Guard inquiry into the incident found Joppich at fault for the sinking. He was charged with four counts of faulty seamanship. As a result, his license was suspended for a year. The wreck of the SS Cedarville lies about 110 feet deep in the Straits of Mackinac.

The shipwreck

 The Cedarville is the fourth largest ship that has been lost on the Great Lakes.

The wreck lies about 110 feet deep in the straits. At its highest point, the hull is just 35 feet below the surface. The wreck is accessible by expert divers, but three divers have died visiting the site.

“It’s not that deep but you have to know what you’re doing because it’s still a shipwreck,” said Ley, who has personally dove down to the Cedarville shipwreck. “Because it’s a shallow wreck, you can swim all around it and even go into the kitchen and see the canned food left behind.”

Video Spotlight: Know Your Ships and its long-time editor

Author and documentarian Wes Oleszewski chats with Know Your Ships book Editor and Publisher Roger LeLievre. Listen here: