Grain the Dominant Commodity as End of Shipping Season Draws Near

November 14, 2024 — As the 2024 marine shipping season continues into its final months, grain remains the dominant commodity trafficking the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway for two years in a row.

As noted in a release recently issued by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, in October there was 28 million metric tons of cargo movements since the start of the navigation season.  This included:

    Approximately 8 million metric tons (mt) of Canadian and U.S. grain traffic, which is up 807,000 mt or 11.24% year over year

    Approximately 1.36 million mt of Potash traffic, representing an increase of 142,000 mt or 11.7% year over year; and

    1.63 million mt of iron and steel traffic, which is up by 227,000 mt or 16.2% over last year.

A Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) member playing a vital role in all the grain traffic happening this year is Richardson International, a global leader in agriculture and food processing.  The company is Canada’s largest agribusiness, and a worldwide handler and merchandiser of all major Canadian-grown grains and oilseeds. Every year, they handle 14 to 16 million tonnes of locally-sourced grains, oilseeds, and other crops to meet growing global demand for quality Canadian commodities.

“Canada has seen a very strong pace for exports in both 2023 and 2024, and we expect demand to continue to be strong for the balance of this crop year,” said Carsten Bredin, Vice-President of Grain Merchandising for Richardson International. “The large crop in Manitoba and excellent harvest conditions have ensured we are ready to keep pace with demand, and maintain Canada’s place as global leader in supplying quality product.”

“Companies like Richardson International helped build Canada’s global reputation as a reliable provider of high-quality product that people all over the world can depend on,” noted Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce.  “In an ever-changing world, that reputation for reliability is more important than ever. Through the CMC’s continuous advocacy for the protection and strengthening of supply chains, we are doing our part to maintain Canada’s place in world markets for years to come.”

 Chamber of Marine Commerce

Toledo museum celebrates the Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

 

 

St. Lawrence Seaway Cargo Movements Show Positive October Uptick

CORNWALL, ON / WASHINGTON D.C. (November 13, 2024) – The St. Lawrence Seaway reported its October performance figures, with cargo shipments reaching 28 million metric tons since the start of the navigation season. Although this represents a slight decrease compared to the same period last year, October saw a positive uptick over September’s results, underscoring the Seaway’s vital role in supporting the North American supply chain.

“In October, the Seaway System saw a noticeable increase in cargo movements,” said Adam Tindall-Schlicht, Administrator, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “These next few months are typically the busiest of the Seaway’s navigation season. The harvest is in, and U.S. export grain is moving through Great Lakes ports and the Seaway,” said Tindall-Schlicht. “As global demand increases, we anticipate this upward trend in outbound grain shipments to continue through the end of the year.”

“Trends across major cargo segments indicate continued demand in key sectors. Grain rose by 11% year-over-year, driven by robust agricultural exports, while potash increased by 12%. We anticipate a strong finish to the season,” said Jim Athanasiou, President and CEO of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

“As we approach the close of the navigation season on January 5 in the Montreal-Lake Ontario section and January 10 in the Welland Canal, the St. Lawrence Seaway remains committed to meeting market needs and supporting growth in North American industries,” added Mr. Athanasiou.

St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation

 

Toledo museum celebrates the Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

Federal funding for Windsor’s Sterling Fuels to bring biofuels to the Great Lakes shipping industry

Chris Campbell
CTV Windsor News 

Updated Nov. 12, 2024 5:52 p.m. CST

The federal government announced on Tuesday it’s investing over $25 million towards four Ontario projects, funded under the Green Shipping Corridor Program, including a multi-million-dollar project at Sterling Fuels in Windsor.

Minister of Transport Anita Anand said the funding was meant to establish green shipping corridors and reduce emissions across the Great Lakes region, while supporting shore-power and alternative fuel solutions in the marine sector.

“We need to do what we can to lower emissions, and we need to ensure that the marine transportation sector is sustainable at the same time,” Anand said.

“This is good news for the economy. This is good news for the environment. And this is recognition that in order to grow your economy, you need to have a plan for environmental protection and sustainability.”

Officials said decarbonizing the marine sector is a crucial part of the Canadian government’s climate action plan. By upgrading port infrastructure and promoting the use of cleaner technologies in vessels, they said Canada is leading the way in reducing the environmental impacts of shipping.

“Our ports are essential gateways to Canada’s economy,” Anand said in a news release.

“These innovative projects will help us protect our planet, build a greener economy for Canadians, reduce emissions and keep our communities connected.”

According to Anand, the money will go towards projects in Windsor, Hamilton, Port Colborne and Port Algoma Sault Ste. Marie.

Sterling Fuels will receive up to $4.9 million in funding as part of a $10 million project to reconfigure existing infrastructure in Windsor and build additional fuel infrastructure at its facilities in Hamilton.

The project will see $6 million invested in the Sterling Fuels facility in west Windsor on Russell Street along the Detroit River, to bring biofuels to the market for use by vessels in the Great Lakes shipping industry.

Sterling Fuels President Peter Kelly noted work has already begun at the Windsor facility and could take a couple of years to complete.

“Our Windsor facility is strategically positioned at the prime location for fueling Great Lakes vessels traveling north to get their cargoes,” Kelly explained.

“On Windsor Port Authority property, Sterling will add infrastructure to receive biofuels by rail into existing storage tanks. This new infrastructure, along with utilizing existing capabilities, will allow Sterling to customize various fuel blends, specific to the requirements of each vessel.”

Kelly continued, saying marine diesel currently being used is like normal truck diesel. The new fuel they are moving to is soybean-based, reducing emissions by around 80 per cent.

“It’s not only important for our organization, but I think it’s important for the entire marine industry in particular, because it now builds the infrastructure so that we can bring biofuels to the market and make them a sustainable fuel of the future,” said Kelly.

Windsor Port Authority President and CEO Steve Salmons welcomed the announcement, saying there’s been $150 million invested in the future expansion of Port Windsor over the last two years.

“This is huge,” Salmons exclaimed.

“It’s a huge advancement in the decarbonization of our economy, of transportation and getting the right product at the right place to the right people to utilize this incredible technological advancement.”

 

River challenges could shift shipping demand to Great Lakes

November 12, 2024

By Jake Zajkowski, OCJ field reporter

When thinking of grain shipment, the Mississippi River system, ports on the Gulf Coast and the Pacific Northwest often come to mind — locations closest to U.S. agriculture trade partners around the world.

However, the Great Lakes region and its farmers benefit from a unique, efficient shipping trade route from the heartland of America to the Atlantic Ocean: the St. Lawrence Seaway. Despite often being overlooked, the seaway has consistently played a crucial role in global grain trade, reaching from Duluth, Minnesota to Baie Comeau, Québec in Canada.

In 2023, nearly 10.5 million tons of grain — roughly 424 million bushels — was exported through the St. Lawrence Seaway, according to tonnage reports from The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. The seaway provides a streamlined, direct supply chain for exporters, ensuring quicker transit times and reducing logistical complexity.

“Grain is inspected, elevated into silos and sometimes loaded directly onto a vessel. It doesn’t get any more direct than that—field to vessel with minimal handling,” said Joe Cappel, vice president of business development at the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

Ports like in Toledo are well positioned and close the farmgate. This waterway excels in bulk grain shipments, leveraging the region’s extensive port network.

“Usually, there’s less transloading of the material as well, with Great Lakes ports being closer to the fields,” Cappel said.

Toledo is one of four main U.S. grain ports on the Great Lakes, with The Andersons and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) at the heart of its operations. Both companies have facilities at the Port of Toledo, supporting grain producers across northwest Ohio. Headquartered in Maumee, The Andersons has a storage capacity of 32 million bushels in the Toledo area, while ADM’s 28 grain silos along the river provide nearly 9.8 million bushels of storage.

“There is a lot of opportunity to do more on the Great Lakes. We are nowhere near our capacity, while these coastal ports are bumping up right against it,” Cappel said.

For Toledo, export numbers typically remain consistent year to year. However, 2023 saw a decline to only 1 million net tons, a 32% decrease from 2022. Data recorded during August 2024 from the Toledo Port Authority shows nearly 182,000 short tons exported, down 67.4% from the same period last year.

Port leadership anticipates much more grain movement out of current storage, given the strong Midwestern supply expected this harvest season. The busiest time for the port is October through December, while Great Lakes shipping is largely halted from Jan. 1 to March 1.

In 2024 so far, the Port of Toledo has seen seven overseas vessels and 259 lake vessels carrying various products, including coal, grain, iron ore, petroleum and dry bulk items, according to Toledo Port Authority. 

This month, the Lower Mississippi River (LMR) has faced reduced barge drafts and tow sizes due to low water levels, worsening in October from drought conditions despite high supply across the Corn Belt. According to the USDA, 60% of grain — wheat, soybeans, corn — moves through the Mississippi River via barge, posing a potential threat to future marketing strategies.

According to the National Weather Service, the low-water threshold begins at -5 feet below zero gauge. For the Mississippi River at Memphis, Oct. 28 is predicted to reach -9 feet below the river standard. DTN Ag reports that for each foot the river level decreases, a barge’s cargo must be cut by 200 tons, increasing costs while shipping less freight downriver.

Although no reports have yet emerged, if river terminals stop taking grain, costs could be passed down to farmers, weakening local basis prices for producers.

This challenge may create opportunities for Toledo, raising the question of how the Great Lakes could step in for export officials.

“If exporters ever wanted to switch from shipping containers through coastal or river ports, they could certainly consider bulk shipping through the Great Lakes,” Cappel said.

The open storage availability of the St. Lawrence Seaway is not a new development. In 2022, severe drought on the Mississippi River limited barge routes. At the same time, port strikes along the U.S. East Coast in early October disrupted container shipments of agricultural products.

Great Lakes shipping routes remained unaffected.

Ports like Toledo play a key role, often serving as backups during disruptions, helping relieve congestion at major U.S. ports and adapt to global trade shifts by efficiently rerouting goods. The region faces plenty of global demand, holding capacity and farmers who can meet the demand, said Peter Hirthe, international trade specialist for the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

“This year, the demand for U.S. wheat is back up due to its quality,” Hirthe said. “On the U.S. side, we’re up about 55% (exporting) because of significant overseas demand for U.S. wheat.”

And it is not just corn, wheat and soybeans in Toledo anymore. There are shifts to oats, canola, alfalfa and byproducts like distillers’ dried grains and soy meal.

However, high shipping costs, the need for empty container ships to travel into the Great Lakes and domestic demand to crush beans in-state for biofuels present trade-offs. Shipping faces capacity challenges because there aren’t enough empty ships available. Unlike barges on rivers, ships on lakes need to arrive with cargo to transport grain cost-effectively, complicating the search for available vessels, Hirthe explained.

“We really need more ships coming in. It’s really the imports that typically drive the export capacity of the lakes,” Hirthe said. “To take more out, you need more coming in so that the ship is in the lakes and can be filled.”

While shipping rates can be higher, Toledo’s central location offers flexibility. Operators can ship by water, rail to the Gulf or truck domestically, with profitability varying each year.

“We’re trying to grow inbound utilization — more ships — and look for new products and supply chains. With new factories in the Midwest, we could make some of those factories bring in products to support them or more,” Hirthe said.

It’s not just exports to markets in Europe or Northern Africa — agricultural products are also imported into Toledo for local food processing. Great Lakes ports serve as strategic hubs for grain storage between the U.S. and Canada. The Great Lakes provide access to 16 key trade ports in the region, including four that handle grain, with major hubs in Duluth, Minn.; Milwaukee, Wisc.; Oswego, New York; and the Port of Toledo. For example, Mondelez, the largest soft wheat flour mill in North America, located in Toledo, supplies Nabisco bakeries across the continent.

The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp is working to bring shipping capacity to the lakes and companies like the Andersons develop end-user demand. Both could be creating increased opportunity for farmers in northwest Ohio and agriculture trade for the region.

“The local basis price is driven by end-user demand our goal is to build strong opportunities for farmers in our core markets, such as in Northwest Ohio,” said Blake Haudan, vice president of trade and processing for The Andersons. “As demand increases, the Port of Toledo has become more attractive for moving grains through the Great Lakes.”

 

 

Mariners’ Church of Detroit holds 59th annual Great Lakes memorial service

DETROIT – Mariners’ Church of Detroit held its 59th annual Great Lakes Memorial Service on Sunday.

The occasion honors and remembers 30,000 people who have died in the Great Lakes and on Michigan’s waters over the years. The somber tradition remembered the more than 6,000 Great Lakes shipwrecks and thousands of sailors who have lost their lives.

“I’m very patriotic. I’m very emotional when it comes to things like this,” said Patti Mitrowski, who serves in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. She also retired from the as a U.S. Coast Guard officer after serving 27 years. “I think this is one way of saying, ‘Thank you.’”

Each death a reminder of how risky the open waters can be whether a sailor, maritime professional or someone recreationally enjoying the waterways. The church also shares a connection to the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald which is memorialized in Gordon Lightfoot’s ballad, “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” The annual service is held on the date it sunk.

“As Gordon Lightfoot’s song said, ‘We’re the Maritime Cathedral.’ So, we feel a pretty big responsibility to honor those sailors because of the loss that means for — not just their families — but for the community,” Rev. Todd Meyer said.

The service not only looks to the past, but the future. Their prayer? That there will be no more wrecks and deaths on the lakes ever again.

“As a church, we are trusting in God that He would protect our sailors and — thanks be to God we’ve had very few wrecks that have taken life since the 60s it’s gone exponentially down so we continue to pray and a lot of that has to do with technology and weather forecasting, but we also just ask God to protect,” the pastor said.

View a video here: https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2024/11/11/mariners-church-of-detroit-holds-59th-annual-great-lakes-memorial-service/

Click On Detroit

Edmund Fitzgerald crew remembered at Whitefish Point Sunday

Whitefish Point, MI – The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society’s annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony was held at 7p.m. Sunday at Whitefish Point.

Forty-nine years ago, the Fitzgerald sank 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point on Nov. 10, 1975, in a severe storm.  As a part of the ceremony, the names of each crew member was read, with the Fitzgerald’s bell rung for each one.  The bell was rung one final time for all mariners lost at sea.

The entire crew of 29 men lost that night:

Michael Armagost

Frederick Beetcher

Thomas Bentsen

Edward Bindon

Thomas Borgeson

Oliver Champeau

Nolan Church

Ransom Cundy

Thomas Edwards

Russell Haskell

George Holl

Bruce Hudson

Allen Kalmon

Gordon MacLellan

Joseph Mazes

John McCarthy

Ernest McSorley

Eugene O’Brien

Karl Peckol

John Poviach

James Pratt

Robert Rafferty

Paul Riippa

John Simmons

William Spengler

Mark Thomas

Ralph Walton

David Weiss

Blaine Wilhelm

A few family members of the Fitzgerald crew, along with dignitaries, special guests and US Coast Guard members attended.  More than 2,000 people viewed the live feed on YouTube with many more on Facebook.

Mike Fornes, singer of the Gordon Lightfoot Tribute, provided the music including the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” song.  Fornes also read the invocation and benediction.

Executive Director of the GLSHS Bruce Lynn, provided opening remarks and introductions. Author, historian and researcher John U. Bacon, who is writing a new book about the Fitzgerald,  reflected on the work of those who workon the Great Lakes and those who died that fateful day on eastern Lake Superior.

Senior Chief Boatswains Mate, Kyle Rice, USCG Sector Northern Great Lakes, provided the “Call to Last Watch,” a reading of crewmember names, with the Fitzgerald’s bell rung for each. The bell sounded one final time for all mariners lost at sea.

For next year’s 50th anniversary, Lynn said a bigger event is in the making, with part of it open to the public during the day.

The ceremony can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/live/1Yg0pFLGIcQ

Jim Lehocky

Montreal Port Locks Out Dockworkers, Adding To Canada’s Supply-Chain Woes

November 10, 2024

By Curtis Heinzl

Nov 10, 2024,(Bloomberg) –Longshoring activity at the Port of Montreal is set to grind to a halt as an employers’ group locks out 1,200 union members.

The escalation of an ongoing labor dispute will disrupt Canada’s second-largest port, which typically handles nearly C$400 million ($288 million) of goods a day. It has been operating far below its container-handling capacity since dockworkers at two terminals walked off the job on Oct. 31. The union also held a full one-day strike in late October.

The Maritime Employers Association gave the Longshoremen’s Union a deadline of Sunday at 8 p.m. New York time to respond to an offer that included about a 20% pay raise over six years. The total average compensation of a longshore worker would rise to more than C$200,000 per year by the end of the contract, the employers’ group said.

But union members were nearly unanimous in rejecting that offer, according to a statement Sunday. The union has pointed out that in October, US dockworkers secured a 62% raise over six years.

“The Maritime Employers Association deplores the negative outcome of the vote held by the Montréal Longshoremen’s Union on the final and comprehensive offer tabled on Thursday, and has no choice but to declare a lockout as of 9 p.m. this evening,” the MEA said in a statement Sunday. The two sides have been without a collective agreement since Dec. 31 of last year.

A few services, including a Viterra grain terminal, would continue operating, the port said last week. 

The Montreal Port Authority has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to put an end to the labor dispute. “I believe that the best agreements are negotiated at the table. But let’s face it, there are no negotiations,” Julie Gascon, the port authority’s chief executive officer, said Thursday.

On Canada’s west coast, a separate labor dispute is already disrupting an estimated C$800 million of activity per day. British Columbia dock employers locked out workers on Nov. 4 after a union posted notice of a strike action that would refuse overtime work.

Canadian Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon said Nov. 7 that the government supports negotiations, but said talks in both British Columbia and Montreal were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved.”

Rye seeds rescued from 146-year-old shipwreck could revive crop in Michigan

 

EAST LANSING, MI – A Michigan distilling company dedicated to agritourism and storytelling in its whiskey went to the depths of Lake Huron in the hopes of resurrecting an old rye variety.

Mammoth Distilling and Michigan State University are teaming up to bring back what’s now known as Bentley rye, according to an article from MSU Today.

Rescued from the 1878 shipwreck of the wooden schooner James R. Bentley – one of a few privately-owned shipwrecks in Michigan waters after the owner won a court case with the state – the rye rested in near-freezing water for 146 years, the report said. On Sept. 17, two divers went 160 feet to the bottom of Lake Huron and extracted seeds using a special tube. The seeds were put on ice and rushed to MSU where Eric Olson, an expert in wheat breeding and genetics, tried to get them to germinate.

They didn’t germinate. But that’s not the end of the story. “The seeds aren’t dead at all,” Olson told MSU Today.

Olson is now working to extract DNA from the seeds, which will allow him to compare them to modern rye varieties, determine its origin, sequence the chromosomes and transfer them into a modern rye variety, essentially reviving this historic rye, the report said.

The goal is to use the Bentley seeds to create a new variety of rye for distillers, something that could inspire a Michigan rye trail in the vein of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Chad Munger, owner of Mammoth Distilling, told MSU Today.

“The Michigan Rye Trail will be more than just visiting distilleries all over the state that are making Michigan rye whiskey,” Munger told MSU Today. “We want people to know where their grain came from – and that’s proudly grown in Michigan.”

MLive

View a video here: https://www.mlive.com/life/2024/11/rye-seeds-rescued-from-146-year-old-shipwreck-could-revive-crop-in-michigan.html?outputType=amp

 

From Iconic Ocean Liner to Artificial Reef: SS United States to Set Sail on Final Journey

Mike Schuler

November 8, 2024

The iconic SS United States, once the pride of America’s maritime fleet, is embarking on its final voyage – not across the Atlantic, but towards a new life as the world’s largest artificial reef off the coast of Florida.

The ship’s final journey is set to begin on November 14th, with tugs positioning themselves next to the ship in preparation for high tide. The following day, the SS United States will be towed down the Delaware River, passing under several bridges that will be temporarily closed. The approximately 14-day journey to Mobile, Alabama, will take the ship relatively close to shore to avoid ocean currents that could delay the tow and burn excessive fuel.

Last month, the SS United States Conservancy formally transferred the title of the historic ocean liner to Okaloosa County, Florida, following a prolonged legal dispute with the ship’s pier landlord that ended with a court-ordered settlement requiring the vessel to vacate its Philadelphia berth.

“Converting the world’s fastest ship into the world’s largest artificial reef will write a new chapter for the SS United States as a world-class destination,” said Susan Gibbs, President of the SS United States Conservancy. This decision came after numerous unsuccessful attempts to find a viable option for preserving the ship in its current form.

The $10.1 million project marks a significant turning point in the ship’s storied legacy, offering an innovative solution for preserving the vessel that has been docked in Philadelphia since 1996.

The SS United States, launched in 1951, holds a special place in maritime history. It still holds the transatlantic speed record and has a rich history of transporting presidents, celebrities, and immigrants. During the Cold War, it was designed as a convertible troop carrier capable of transporting 14,000 troops 10,000 miles without refueling.

Once in Mobile Bay, the ship will undergo extensive environmental remediation, expected to take about 12 months. Following this, it will take an additional six months to a year for deployment as an artificial reef off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

From The SS United States Conservancy
America’s Flagship

The American public enthusiastically embraced the SS United States, which became known as “America’s Flagship.” Throughout the 1950s, people from around the world booked accommodation on the world’s fastest ship. Familiar names of the day, including Bob Hope, Princess Grace of Monaco, Salvadore Dali, Rita Hayworth, Harry Truman, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and Duke Ellington headlined the ship’s passenger lists. For those far inland or disinclined to travel, the United States came to them through news reports and even the cinema: the ship became a ocean-going movie set for feature films such as Walt Disney’s Bon Voyage!, Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, and Munster, Go Home!

Even after the introduction of the commercial jet liner in 1958, the ship operated at capacity during the summer high season, but as the 1960s dawned, financial trouble loomed on the horizon. The United States Lines frequently endured both labor disputes and annual wrangling with the federal government over operating subsidies. The industry itself was subjected to a rapid shift in the way people chose to travel: what air travel lacked in comfort it made up for in speed and fuel economy in an era when oil costs were beginning to skyrocket.

The 1960s proved to be a decade of loss for the United States, symbolically as well as financially. She lost her original running mate in 1964, when the America was sold to foreign interests. Four years later, her main competitors, the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were gone as well. Although a new generation of liners, particularly the France and Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2 were introduced, they both spent a good part of the year on cruise duty, a role for which the United States was ill-equipped. The biggest blow came in 1967, with the death of William Francis Gibbs. His favorite ship, on which he had labored for nearly half his life, only sailed for another two years. In November of 1969, while undergoing her annual overhaul at Newport News, she was abruptly and permanently withdrawn from service.

Note:  
This ship could run at 33 Knots And cross the ocean in 3 Days and I believe her records still hold today.

 

 

Lost Mariners Remembrance ceremony being held in Detroit this weekend on Edmund Fitzgerald anniversray

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Nov. 10, 1975 in Lake Superior, in a violent storm on the lake. November can be a turbulent month for weather across Michigan, and gales – very strong winds – are common on the Great Lakes. Intense areas of low pressure can sweep across the Great Lakes region bringing arctic air masses. The relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes can help storms intensify and produce life-threatening conditions.

Posted 8:06 AM, Nov 04, 2024 and last updated 8:24 AM, Nov 04, 2024

The Detroit Historical Society is honoring lost mariners during its annual Lost Mariners Remembrance this weekend in Detroit.

It’s the 25th year the society has held the event, which also marks the anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

This year’s event will take place Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.

It will start with a lantern ceremony at the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald anchor, and then Lee Murdock, a celebrated balladeer of the Great Lakes, will perform at 6:15 p.m.

There will also be a wreath ceremony, a lost vessel tribute, a final blessing and then the playing of the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot.

Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for the general public.

 

Shipwreck Society makes 49th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony closed to the public

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society’s Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony is always a solemn event, but again this year, it will be closed to the public. Due to the museum’s small size and inability to accommodate the many people who typically want to attend, the decision has been made to keep the event private. This memorial service has always been primarily intended for the families of those lost on the Fitzgerald when it sank 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point on November 10th, 1975.

However, recognizing the wider community’s interest, the Shipwreck Society has upgraded its technology to ensure the memorial can still be experienced by many. The event will be live-streamed, with a link to follow, allowing the public to participate virtually while maintaining an intimate atmosphere for the families attending in person. This combination of preserving the event’s personal nature while expanding access is a thoughtful way to honor the memory of those lost and to include those who wish to pay their respects from afar.

This event will be live-streaming from Whitefish Point starting before 7pm on Sunday, 11-10-2024 and ending after 8pm. Please stay tuned for more information.

There will also be an opportunity to see this event at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, MI where they will host a simulcast of the broadcast of our stream in real time. If you’re in that area call the MMM at (269) 637-8078 for more information. There has been a flood of questions about the 50th anniversary Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony. We do have plans for a public event that we will release in 2025. Any questions about the 49th event please reach out to:

 

 

Seaway tug Robinson Bay to join Maritime Academy fleet

TRAVERSE CITY — After lobbying for about a decade, the Northwestern Michigan College Great Lakes Maritime Academy will officially welcome a new vessel into its fleet early next year. The towing vessel the Robinson Bay will be donated to the GLMA by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) to be used as a training vessel for deck cadets and, possibly, engine cadets.

The boat has a historic legacy. It was built in 1958, an important time in modern Great Lakes shipping history, according to Jerry Achenbach, GLMA superintendent.

The Edmund Fitzgerald was built the same year, and the Mackinac Bridge opened in late 1957. Around this time, the planning began for the Poe Lock at the Soo and the St. Lawrence Seaway opened just after the boat was built, in 1959.

Achenbach informed the board of trustees of movement on the deal in October. Four weeks prior, interested parties received an email instructing them to put a proposal together and explain how the vessel would be used. They wanted to make sure the heritage of the boat would be respected and that it would be used for education.

GLMA has leased a towing vessel since 2020.

Record-Eagle

Lost Mariners Remembrance ceremony being held in Detroit this weekend on Edmund Fitzgerald anniversray

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Nov. 10, 1975 in Lake Superior, in a violent storm on the lake. November can be a turbulent month for weather across Michigan, and gales – very strong winds – are common on the Great Lakes. Intense areas of low pressure can sweep across the Great Lakes region bringing arctic air masses. The relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes can help storms intensify and produce life-threatening conditions.

Posted 8:06 AM, Nov 04, 2024 and last updated 8:24 AM, Nov 04, 2024

The Detroit Historical Society is honoring lost mariners during its annual Lost Mariners Remembrance this weekend in Detroit.

It’s the 25th year the society has held the event, which also marks the anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

This year’s event will take place Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.

It will start with a lantern ceremony at the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald anchor, and then Lee Murdock, a celebrated balladeer of the Great Lakes, will perform at 6:15 p.m.

There will also be a wreath ceremony, a lost vessel tribute, a final blessing and then the playing of the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot.

Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for the general public.

 

Shipwreck Society makes 49th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony closed to the public

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society’s Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony is always a solemn event, but again this year, it will be closed to the public. Due to the museum’s small size and inability to accommodate the many people who typically want to attend, the decision has been made to keep the event private. This memorial service has always been primarily intended for the families of those lost on the Fitzgerald when it sank 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point on November 10th, 1975.

However, recognizing the wider community’s interest, the Shipwreck Society has upgraded its technology to ensure the memorial can still be experienced by many. The event will be live-streamed, with a link to follow, allowing the public to participate virtually while maintaining an intimate atmosphere for the families attending in person. This combination of preserving the event’s personal nature while expanding access is a thoughtful way to honor the memory of those lost and to include those who wish to pay their respects from afar.

This event will be live-streaming from Whitefish Point starting before 7pm on Sunday, 11-10-2024 and ending after 8pm. Please stay tuned for more information.

There will also be an opportunity to see this event at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, MI where they will host a simulcast of the broadcast of our stream in real time. If you’re in that area call the MMM at (269) 637-8078 for more information. There has been a flood of questions about the 50th anniversary Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony. We do have plans for a public event that we will release in 2025. Any questions about the 49th event please reach out to:

 

 

 

Lost Mariners Remembrance ceremony being held in Detroit this weekend on Edmund Fitzgerald anniversray

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Nov. 10, 1975 in Lake Superior, in a violent storm on the lake. November can be a turbulent month for weather across Michigan, and gales – very strong winds – are common on the Great Lakes. Intense areas of low pressure can sweep across the Great Lakes region bringing arctic air masses. The relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes can help storms intensify and produce life-threatening conditions.

Posted 8:06 AM, Nov 04, 2024 and last updated 8:24 AM, Nov 04, 2024

The Detroit Historical Society is honoring lost mariners during its annual Lost Mariners Remembrance this weekend in Detroit.

It’s the 25th year the society has held the event, which also marks the anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

This year’s event will take place Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.

It will start with a lantern ceremony at the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald anchor, and then Lee Murdock, a celebrated balladeer of the Great Lakes, will perform at 6:15 p.m.

There will also be a wreath ceremony, a lost vessel tribute, a final blessing and then the playing of the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot.

Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for the general public.

 

Shipwreck Society makes 49th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony closed to the public

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society’s Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony is always a solemn event, but again this year, it will be closed to the public. Due to the museum’s small size and inability to accommodate the many people who typically want to attend, the decision has been made to keep the event private. This memorial service has always been primarily intended for the families of those lost on the Fitzgerald when it sank 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point on November 10th, 1975.

However, recognizing the wider community’s interest, the Shipwreck Society has upgraded its technology to ensure the memorial can still be experienced by many. The event will be live-streamed, with a link to follow, allowing the public to participate virtually while maintaining an intimate atmosphere for the families attending in person. This combination of preserving the event’s personal nature while expanding access is a thoughtful way to honor the memory of those lost and to include those who wish to pay their respects from afar.

This event will be live-streaming from Whitefish Point starting before 7pm on Sunday, 11-10-2024 and ending after 8pm. Please stay tuned for more information.

There will also be an opportunity to see this event at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, MI where they will host a simulcast of the broadcast of our stream in real time. If you’re in that area call the MMM at (269) 637-8078 for more information. There has been a flood of questions about the 50th anniversary Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony. We do have plans for a public event that we will release in 2025. Any questions about the 49th event please reach out to:

 

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

Thursday prorgram looks at Lost Whalebacks

The Shipwreck Coast’s Lost Whalebacks: The Story of Sagamore and Barge 129

Whaleback ships originated on the Great Lakes in 1888 and in less than ten years, shipyards in Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, built 44 of these unique vessels for service as barges and steamships. Bruce Lynn, Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) Executive Director, shares the stories of two whalebacks that sank near Whitefish Bay, Sagamore and Barge 129. The GLSHS discovered Barge 129 in 2021 and Bruce will share highlights of how the team locates, documents and identifies shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. The free program begins at 12:30 ET, 11:30 CT, November 7, 2024, at https://meet.goto.com/VirtualVisitorCenter/lostwhalebacks

 

Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Down in October

CLEVELAND – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 4.5 million tons in October, a decrease of 12.3 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments were 10.1 percent below the month’s 5-year average.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 41 million tons, a decrease of 2.1 percent compared to the same point in 2023.

Through October iron ore loadings are 5.1 percent above their 5-year average for the January-October timeframe.

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.

View Charts in Gallery Below

Lost Mariners Remembrance ceremony being held in Detroit this weekend on Edmund Fitzgerald anniversray

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Nov. 10, 1975 in Lake Superior, in a violent storm on the lake. November can be a turbulent month for weather across Michigan, and gales – very strong winds – are common on the Great Lakes. Intense areas of low pressure can sweep across the Great Lakes region bringing arctic air masses. The relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes can help storms intensify and produce life-threatening conditions.

Posted 8:06 AM, Nov 04, 2024 and last updated 8:24 AM, Nov 04, 2024

The Detroit Historical Society is honoring lost mariners during its annual Lost Mariners Remembrance this weekend in Detroit.

It’s the 25th year the society has held the event, which also marks the anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

This year’s event will take place Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.

It will start with a lantern ceremony at the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald anchor, and then Lee Murdock, a celebrated balladeer of the Great Lakes, will perform at 6:15 p.m.

There will also be a wreath ceremony, a lost vessel tribute, a final blessing and then the playing of the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot.

Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for the general public.

 

Shipwreck Society makes 49th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony closed to the public

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society’s Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony is always a solemn event, but again this year, it will be closed to the public. Due to the museum’s small size and inability to accommodate the many people who typically want to attend, the decision has been made to keep the event private. This memorial service has always been primarily intended for the families of those lost on the Fitzgerald when it sank 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point on November 10th, 1975.

However, recognizing the wider community’s interest, the Shipwreck Society has upgraded its technology to ensure the memorial can still be experienced by many. The event will be live-streamed, with a link to follow, allowing the public to participate virtually while maintaining an intimate atmosphere for the families attending in person. This combination of preserving the event’s personal nature while expanding access is a thoughtful way to honor the memory of those lost and to include those who wish to pay their respects from afar.

This event will be live-streaming from Whitefish Point starting before 7pm on Sunday, 11-10-2024 and ending after 8pm. Please stay tuned for more information.

There will also be an opportunity to see this event at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, MI where they will host a simulcast of the broadcast of our stream in real time. If you’re in that area call the MMM at (269) 637-8078 for more information. There has been a flood of questions about the 50th anniversary Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony. We do have plans for a public event that we will release in 2025. Any questions about the 49th event please reach out to:

Gales of November  8-9

See flier below. Help support the Lake Superior Maritime Museum Association.

See flyer below.

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite

Impending Manitou Islands closure
may put ferry out of business

National Park Service building new Manitou Island docks

By Garret Ellison | gellison@mlive.com

LELAND, MI — The impending closure of North and South Manitou islands during a multi-year infrastructure project at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore may spell the end for a 107-year-old Michigan ferry service.

The owners of Manitou Island Transit, which ferries visitors to the two islands in Lake Michigan, warn the business may close permanently if the National Park Service follows though on plans to close the islands to visitors for two or more years.

North Manitou is scheduled to close for 2025 and possibly longer while a new dock is built, and island village water and electric systems are upgraded. South Manitou is scheduled to close for 2026 and possibly longer for the same reason.

The National Park Service has not yet announced the closures.

The ferry service, which has struggled financially in recent years due to access problems caused by unsafe dockages, will likely be forced to shut down, its owners say.

They are considering filing another lawsuit against the Park Service, which they successfully sued for breach of contract in 2021 over dredging delays.

If the ferry doors close, it’ll be for good.

“If they shut us down — which they’re doing right now — there will never be a ferry boat back there again out of Leland,” said Jimmy Munoz, captain of the Mishe-Mowka ferry.

“They can say all they want to after putting us through this, but it isn’t happening,” he said. “If they go through with this, that part of history is over.”

Related: Manitou docks to be rebuilt after chronic shoaling

Island closure plans for 2025 and beyond

According to the Park Service, island closures are an unfortunate necessity in order to build new docks as part of a $32 million project funded in its fiscal 2024 budget using money appropriated by Congress under the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act.

Those with private boats could still visit the islands, but they couldn’t use the docks or visit the villages while workers dig them up to replace water pipes, septic fields and electrical systems — which are all happening under the same contract.

The Park Service awarded a nearly $28 million contract to Coastal Construction Group of Cheboygan for the project on Sept. 26. Parts of the contract remain in negotiation and the government’s goal is to have a finalized contract in place by January.

Scott Tucker, Sleeping Bear Dunes superintendent, said the plan is to close North Manitou next spring and finish the work before the end of 2025. The work would switch to South Manitou in 2026, which would be closed under a similar timeline.

North Manitou work could extend into 2026 due to delays and weather conditions. South Manitou work could extend into 2027 for the same reasons.

“There’s a lot of unknowns based around the contractor schedule,” said Tucker. “Worst case scenario; each island (is) closed for two years.”

The closure is for safety reasons, said Tucker.

While the work is underway on South Manitou, “there’s going to be six-foot trenches through the entire village,” Tucker said. “There’s going to be no way for visitors to safely get through that large construction zone. Same thing on North.”

But it hasn’t been determined whether the existing docks will stay in place or be removed while the new docks are being built, said Tucker. “We still don’t know yet.”

Dredging dispute has cascading impacts

The focus on visitor safety feels ironic to Manitou Transit owners, who’ve disputed the safety of a temporary dock built on North Manitou to accommodate the ferry, which has struggled to reach the island due to sand shoaling around the existing dock.

The ferry did not service North Manitou for most 2023 and 2024, saying the temporary dock extension is too exposed to the unruly Manitou Passage.

Munoz says the 61-foot ferry rocks hard while berthed at the new temporary dock and tying-up proved unsafe and unworkable — as would be getting passengers on-and-off using a gangplank, which the Park Service suggested as a work-around.

The wave energy reflecting off the dock “creates this crazy motion that a boat can’t sit in,” he said. “Even in a one-foot swell, the boat doesn’t know which way to rock.”

“There’s no way to tie-up correctly in that situation,” Munoz said. “It makes a boat like a pendulum, with the difference being you have lines tied to that dock. But it keeps trying to pull harder and harder, and every time it comes back, it goes that much further, and eventually lines snap.”

“It makes a very dangerous situation.”

Manitou Island docks relocation

Munoz said he took the ferry to North Manitou four times this summer “because I was trying to show them why it wouldn’t work,” he said. “We asked them not to build it.”

In February, Munoz met with the Park Service to discuss options for a new temporary dock. He suggested a floating dock with various placements — but definitely not directly east into unprotected waters off the T-section of the existing dock.

“And that’s exactly where they put it,” he said.
“This is the first time since the park was established that an island has been inaccessible,” Munoz said. “Are they becoming harder to deal with? The answer would be ‘yes.’”

Another lawsuit is brewing, say ferry owners

Operating a ferry has been an increasingly frustrating endeavor for the Munoz family ever since the waters of Lake Michigan began to rise to record levels a few years ago.

The Mishe-Mowka sat idle in 2020 because rising lake levels increased shoaling around the North Manitou dock and lifted the South Manitou dock off its pilings, making both landings unsafe.

North wasn’t dredged until August 2020 and South’s dock wasn’t fixed until 2021, rendering 2020 a total wash during a year of record park attendance.

The company sued for breach of contract, arguing that the park knew about the problem and dropped the ball on dredging. The business was pushed into near-insolvency and force to seek a loan to stay afloat. A federal Court of Claims judge sided with them last fall, but granted a concession to the park’s argument that pandemic upheaval was a factor in 2020 delays.

The business wants compensation for not being able to service North Manitou this year, but isn’t getting anywhere. Tucker said the government feels the dock was safe and Manitou Transit could have run passengers “but chose not to.”

“Unfortunately, there is no legal way for the National Park Service to buy out a contract, to pay them not to run,” he said.

The ferry owners feel like they’re being forced to sue again.

Jimmy and Megan Munoz, who co-own the business with other family members, say it is financially infeasible to operate the ferry under the construction schedule.

Their existing contract expires in 2029. The contract is exclusive and amounts to a monopoly, but the business is wholly dependent on the federal government — which took property on the islands from the business when the park was established in the 1970s — to provide and maintain a dock.

In an October letter from federal Interior Department attorneys, the business was told “there is no path to continue operations while this work is being performed.”

Unlike most Park Service concessioner contracts, Manitou Transit operates from its own dockside property and must maintain its boat, parking lots, insurance policies and incur other operating and equipment costs associated with ferrying passengers safely.

It isn’t massively profitable. In their 2021 lawsuit, the company claimed only $500,000 in damages from the 2020 season loss. The park takes a 4 percent cut of gross receipts.

The islands don’t draw huge visitor numbers. They account for about 28 percent of the park’s total 71,000 acres but a tiny fraction of its annual attendance. In 2022, the most recent year with normal service to North Manitou, 10,658 people visited both islands — 6,427 to South and 4,231 to North. That’s less than 1 percent of the 1.5 million park visitors that year.

This year, 249 people visited North and 8,251 visited South.

Because they are federal wilderness, the islands tend to draw daytrippers and advanced backpackers. A round-trip ferry ticket is $45 for adults, $23 for kids. The season is generally Memorial Day to Labor Day with some fall service on weekends.

The owners each work other jobs in the off-season to make ends meet, they said. Taking out another loan isn’t an option because they’re still paying back the first one.
Ferry service disruptions hasn’t played well with customers, either. Canceled reservations and schedule changes cause angry phone calls and bad reviews, they said.

“We have to jump through hoops to make sure everything is perfect, but they can just say, ‘Oh, sorry. You’re out of luck for two years,’” said Megan Munoz. “They make it nearly impossible to run a successful business.”

If the ferry service closes, the islands might simply be inaccessible for a while to anyone without their own boat.

Tucker said the Park Service would simply put out a new prospectus in 2028 for the next 10-year ferry contract.

As for where another boat might port, there aren’t many options besides Leland, from which it takes 1.5 hours to go 15 miles.

“It could come out of Frankfort,” Tucker said, which is roughly 30 to 40 miles away from the two islands.

Link to article and many pictures:     https://www.mlive.com/environment/2024/11/impending-manitou-islands-closure-may-put-ferry-out-of-business.html?e=62ea06b573d7c671e4e794b4329ab333

Lakes Limestone Trade Down in October

CLEVELAND — Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.3 million tons in October, a decrease of 13.1 percent compared to a year ago.  Limestone cargos were also below the month’s 5-year average by 9.6 percent.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.7 million tons, a decrease of 8.4 percent.  Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 587,069 tons, a decrease of 29.7 percent.

Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 24.2 million tons, a slight decrease compared to 2023.  Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 19.5 million tons, a near match to last year.  Shipments from Ontario quarries total 4.7 million tons, a decrease of 4.4 percent. 

Refer To Charts in Gallery below

U.S. ports: Calcite, MI; Cedarville, MI; Drummond Island, MI; Marblehead, OH; Port Inland, MI; and Presque Isle, MI.  Canadian ports: Bruce Mines, Manitoulin Island, Port Colborne (from August 2017 on), and Smelter Bay (all Ontario).

 

Lost Mariners Remembrance ceremony being held in Detroit this weekend on Edmund Fitzgerald anniversray

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Nov. 10, 1975 in Lake Superior, in a violent storm on the lake. November can be a turbulent month for weather across Michigan, and gales – very strong winds – are common on the Great Lakes. Intense areas of low pressure can sweep across the Great Lakes region bringing arctic air masses. The relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes can help storms intensify and produce life-threatening conditions.

Posted 8:06 AM, Nov 04, 2024 and last updated 8:24 AM, Nov 04, 2024

The Detroit Historical Society is honoring lost mariners during its annual Lost Mariners Remembrance this weekend in Detroit.

It’s the 25th year the society has held the event, which also marks the anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

This year’s event will take place Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.

It will start with a lantern ceremony at the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald anchor, and then Lee Murdock, a celebrated balladeer of the Great Lakes, will perform at 6:15 p.m.

There will also be a wreath ceremony, a lost vessel tribute, a final blessing and then the playing of the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot.

Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for the general public.

 

Shipwreck Society makes 49th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony closed to the public

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society’s Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony is always a solemn event, but again this year, it will be closed to the public. Due to the museum’s small size and inability to accommodate the many people who typically want to attend, the decision has been made to keep the event private. This memorial service has always been primarily intended for the families of those lost on the Fitzgerald when it sank 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point on November 10th, 1975.

However, recognizing the wider community’s interest, the Shipwreck Society has upgraded its technology to ensure the memorial can still be experienced by many. The event will be live-streamed, with a link to follow, allowing the public to participate virtually while maintaining an intimate atmosphere for the families attending in person. This combination of preserving the event’s personal nature while expanding access is a thoughtful way to honor the memory of those lost and to include those who wish to pay their respects from afar.

This event will be live-streaming from Whitefish Point starting before 7pm on Sunday, 11-10-2024 and ending after 8pm. Please stay tuned for more information.

There will also be an opportunity to see this event at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, MI where they will host a simulcast of the broadcast of our stream in real time. If you’re in that area call the MMM at (269) 637-8078 for more information. There has been a flood of questions about the 50th anniversary Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony. We do have plans for a public event that we will release in 2025. Any questions about the 49th event please reach out to:

 

Gales of November  8-9

See flier below. Help support the Lake Superior Maritime Museum Association.

See flyer below.

National Museum offers “Fitzgerald Experience 2024”

Toledo, OH – In honor of the 49th Anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering a weekend of special tours. The Fitzgerald Experience is a guided tour of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, using the lake freighter and its similarities to the Edmund Fitzgerald to discuss the events of November 10, 1975, theories about the sinking and stories about the 29 crew members who were lost. This tour is approximately 75 minutes long.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Each tour will be limited to 8 people. Guests also receive a museum store discount of 10% (non-members) / 20% (members) off in-store purchases. Tours are offered every half hour from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 and from noon – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10.

Your tour purchase includes admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not ADA accessible. Narrow, steep staircases are common throughout the Schoonmaker and may provide difficulties in accessibility for some.

The Schoonmaker is also not heated and much of the tour is on uncovered decks. We encourage you to dress appropriately for the weather. If we determine that the weather has made these tours impossible, we will provide a refund of the ticket price (minus fees). If the program is cancelled, we are not planning a make-up date.

You can process a refund (minus fees) and cancel your ticket up to 7 days before the event. Go here to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fitzgerald-experience-2024-tickets-1043046027747?aff=ebemoffollowpublishemail&ref=eemail&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite