The St. Lawrence Seaway announced Friday the shipping channel’s St. Lawrence River section will close on January 5, 2024. That’s the latest scheduled closing since the Seaway opened in 1959, according to the Seaway Ship Watchers Network.
The Seaway closed on January 2nd in 1984. An unscheduled delayed closing happened on January 12th in 2018 when a ship got stuck in Massena’s Eisenhower lock.
The Seaway allows freighters to transport mostly bulk goods between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. The shipping lanes close every winter to allow maintenance of the locks in Massena.
Cleveland Fire Boat Anthony J. Celebrezze is up for sale
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here’s your chance to buy a piece of Cleveland history as the Anthony J. Celebrezze Cleveland Fire Boat is up for sale. The fire boat has been around for decades. It was on the scene when the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969.
It was named after the city of Cleveland’s 49th mayor, who later was part of President John F. Kennedy’s cabinet and appointed to the federal bench by President Lyndon Johnson. The boat was decommissioned on June 28, 2023, and removed from service.
Built in 1961, the boat is currently in the water in Newburgh Heights. The buyer will be responsible for getting it out of the water and moving it, according to an ad on GovDeals.
This boat has four Detriot diesel engines and measures 61 feet long and 16 feet wide, the ad says. As of Saturday there were 10 bids on the boat, but no had met the reserve price of $5,000.
Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek, told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer on Saturday a new fire boat already has been put into service.
The new boat is named after Garrett Morgan. Morgan was an inventor, responsible for the gas mask and the traffic light. The Garrett Morgan School of Leadership & Innovation, located on Detroit Avenue in the city’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, is named for him, as is one of the city’s water treatment plants.
The Anthony J. Celebrezze Cleveland Fire Boat has served the city well, but became outdated, Polensek said. The Garrett Morgan fire boat, with newer technology, has “the capacity to respond quicker and to pump more water,” he said.
The Algoma Central Corp.’s newest vessel has had her name painted on the hull while moored at Sarnia, ON. The formerly Norwegian-flagged product/chemical tanker Birgit Knutson, purchased last year by Algoma, is now the Algoluna. See images in the photo gallery.
Seaway lists closing dates
The Montreal- Lake Ontario portion of the Seaway will close January 5. The Welland Canal to be clear by January 7. Read the Seaway notice in the gallery below.
Why some new weather buoys are being left in the Great Lakes this winter
As we head into winter, almost all of the buoys that have been bobbing in the Great Lakes during the warmer months have been retrieved and will stay out of the water until springtime. However, the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory is testing out new buoys that can stay in the water all year long. And while they’re floating out there in the cold water, they’ll be collecting data.
Buoys make up an important part of weather forecasting for the Great Lakes and Michigan as a whole. Many buoys record and report weather information like temperatures of the air and water, wave height, and wind speed in areas where normal weather stations can’t be used. This weather data is then used to create forecasts by the National Weather Service and other meteorologists across our state and nearby states, as well as to monitor real-time conditions out on the water.
Lake and air temperatures and wind speed especially are useful for lake effect rain and snow forecasts, while wave heights and wind speed can help determine if conditions on the lake are safe for boaters and ships. However, many buoys can get damaged during the winter months on the Great Lakes due to ice on the water, and need to be retrieved. This leaves us with blank spots in our data during that time of year. NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, or GLERL, has been looking into a solution for this.
This year, GLERL is going to test out brand new buoys on the waters of Lake Michigan that are built to survive the harsh conditions on the lakes during the wintertime. They are smaller, stronger buoys that can withstand the ice buildup on the lakes and will hopefully supply weather and water information year-round. Besides the buoys, robotic vehicles are also going to be used on the surface of the water and below it to test out gathering data about the ice thickness, underwater temperatures, and other scientific data throughout the winter season.
This is exciting research for weather forecasting. If the buoys and system of robotic vehicles work out, gaps that are normally present in meteorological data during winter will be able to be filled. This data can then be used to make better weather forecasts during the winter, and to help people whose hobbies and lives depend on the Great Lakes.
Longer dock means more boaters can visit this lighthouse island in Straits of Mackinac
HELENA ISLAND, MI – An historic island lighthouse in the Straits of Mackinac will be more accessible with the installation of a new roll-out dock extension.
Previously accessible only by dingy, boats of all sizes will be able visit the St. Helena Island Light Station when the dock is extended by 48 feet to a total of 140 feet from shore, the Cheboygan Daily News reports. The project is funded by a $19,550 grant from Enbridge.
The lighthouse began operations in 1873, according to the association. Restoration efforts began in 1986. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. It’s located about 10 miles west of Mackinac Island.
Mrs. Lee A. Tregurtha passes at age 86; was namesake of Great Lakes vessel
Lee A. Tregurtha, 86, of Darien, CT, peacefully passed away at home on November 6, 2023, surrounded by her adoring family. Her name is familiar around the Great Lakes since she has a Great Lakes vessel named in her honor, as does her husband, Paul R. Tregurtha.
Interlake Steamship Co. wrote on its Facebook page: “It is with deep sadness that we share that Mrs. Lee A. Tregurtha, 86, wife of our Vice Chairman Paul R. Tregurtha and beloved namesake of our storied M/V Lee A. Tregurtha, passed away earlier this week. She was an important member of our Interlake family and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
“In her honor, our fleet is flying our U.S. flags at half-mast and her namesake is also flying the Lee A. Tregurtha house flag.”
Her obituary follows:
Lee was born to James and Dorothy Anderson on February 5, 1937, in Lake Forest, IL. She was pampered by her brothers Edward (Ted) and James (Bim) Anderson, who felt she walked on water. Raised in a family of engineers, Lee stood apart as a creative artist, enjoying acting and music in high school and studying Architecture at Cornell University.
She continued to pursue her wide-ranging creative interests throughout her lifetime and was a prolific creator of art, practicing photography, oil painting, pastels, acrylics, pen and ink drawing, sewing, knitting, paper-mache, garden design, flower arranging, and even poetry. After her children were grown, Lee studied at the New York Botanical Garden, becoming a Certified Botanical Illustrator, and she was appointed to the Johnson Museum of Art Board at Cornell University. She also wrote and designed charming books for her grandchildren and, each year, created a unique and much-anticipated family Christmas card depicting the prior year’s highlights.
Lee met her husband, Paul R. Tregurtha, at Cornell University, and the couple married in 1958. They enjoyed 65 years of travel and adventure together, moving from Lake Forest, IL to Portland, OR, then Boston, MA, Ann Arbor, MI, Beaconsfield, England, East Greenwich, RI, and finally, Darien, CT, where they have resided for over 50 years. She and Paul (Trig) also spent many happy years in Sunapee, NH, and North Palm Beach, FL, where she will be missed by her many dear friends.
The matriarch of the Tregurtha clan, Lee loved her family more than anything. She found her greatest joy in surrounding herself with family members for fun gatherings that might include skiing, tennis, golf, boating, board games, and, of course, good food and lots of laughter. Wherever the family travels took the group, all locations were promptly considered “LeeLand” as she held sway over her unruly offspring and oversaw all the details and planning that made these events so special. Lee was always the heart and soul of the family circle.
Lee was kind to all, had a quiet, gentle disposition, and a wicked sense of humor she kept until the end. Her generous nature was evident in the ways she gave back to the community, serving on the School Board and as a room parent, acting as a Cub Scout Den mother, volunteering as a reader to the blind in Boston and at the Darien Community Association, a reading aide to Florida elementary school students, helping with the Darien Garden Club, and supporting Goodwill and many other charitable organizations.
One could not have known Lee without knowing of her four-legged friends. She had many pets over the years and loved them all, but Scamper, Patches, and Tugger were her best buddies in the years after her children were grown, and she mothered them well.
Lee leaves behind her devoted husband of 65 years, Paul R. Tregurtha, and their children, Dory Tregurtha Croskey, Ted Tregurtha, Susan Tregurtha Marshall, and Tracy Tregurtha Child. Her love and devotion will be forever remembered by her children’s spouses, Tom Croskey, Marci Tregurtha, Newt Marshall, and David Child, as well as her fourteen grandchildren, Annabelle Croskey Nielsen and Jonathan Croskey, Katie, James, Jack, and Andrew Tregurtha, Cooper, Wyatt, and Payton Marshall, Hayley, Maxwell, Benson, Dennis, and Kirby Child. Her older brother, Ted Anderson, with whom she was very close, will also miss her deeply, as will the rest of her extended family of many nieces and nephews. Her loss will be acutely felt by the many others in her vast group of family and friends.
A memorial service will be held on November 18, 2023, at 11 a.m. at the Noroton Presbyterian Church, 2011 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT 06820.
Read the obituary, and find out where you can send memorial contributions here: https://lawrencefuneralhome.com/tribute/details/3646/Lee-Tregurtha/obituary.html
Algoma’s tanker Birgit Knutson renamed Algoluna
The formerly Norwegian-flagged product/chemical tanker Birgit Knutson, purchased last year by the Algoma Central Corp., will be renamed Algoluna. The name and registry now appear on the Transport Canada website. The tanker, which was built in 2010 in China, is currently moored at Sarnia, ON, undergoing modifications and renaming. Her AIS signal has yet to be updated to the new name.
Link for watching Whitefish Point museum’s Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony
Link for watching the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum’s 48th Annual Ceremony for the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Ceremony. It starts at 7:00pm EST.
Link for watching Split Rock Lighthouse’s
Fitzgerald Beacon Lighting
Split Rock Lighthouse invites you to join in witnessing the powerful annual Edmund Fitzgerald Beacon Lighting Memorial, which commemorates the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald freighter and the loss of the 29 crew members aboard on November 10, 1975.
The livestream will begin at 4:30 pm, where a ceremony will commence by reading the names of the crew to the tolling of a ship’s bell, with a rendition of the Naval Hymn. Following the ceremony, the beacon will be lit. This memorial will be streamed via Minnesota Historical Society’s YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@minnesotahistory) and Split Rock Lighthouse’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/splitrocklighthouse/).
Four tugs tugs pulled the American Courage free around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
The grounded American Courage was released Tuesday around 6:15 p.m. by a quarter of tugs after running aground on the St. Clair river off Marie City, MI, nearly 12 hours earlier.The Port Huron-based tug Manitou was first on the scene and was joined in the late afternoon by the Detroit-based tugs Ontario, Pennsylvania and Tenacious.
The American Courage was anchored north of Marine City in the St. Clair River late Tuesday and is expected to dock at Marine City between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Wednesday. There were no injuries to crew members or those that responded and no pollution was observed or reported.
The Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Detroit will verify the proper position of all aids to navigation affected and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct an underwater survey to verify channel depth and to determine if there are any impacts from the grounding.
There was no word on damages or the cause of the incident. The vessel was turning to dock at the Marine City Terminal to unload 20,000 tons of stone when the incident happened.
Investment Firm Acquires McKeil Marine
GREENWICH, CT – Astatine Investment Partners (“AIP” or “Astatine” formerly Alinda Capital Partners), a private equity firm focused on infrastructure investments, today announced that it has acquired McKeil Marine Limited, a Canadian marine transportation business, from TorQuest Partners.
Founded in 1956, McKeil is one of Canada’s largest marine transportation and project service providers. The company operates a modern and customized fleet of 13 dry and liquid bulk vessels as well as the largest in-class fleet of tugs and barges on the Great Lakes in Canada. McKeil delivers customized transportation and project services to a wide range of customers and industries across the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, East Coast and the Canadian Arctic.
“We are excited to partner with one of the most innovative and trusted marine service providers in Canada,” said Jim Metcalfe, CEO and Co-Managing Partner of Astatine. “McKeil provides meaningful downside protection through its long-term inflation-linked contracts. There is also a tremendous opportunity to evolve its service offerings and strategically expand its diverse fleet. We look forward to working closely with McKeil’s management team and talented crew to further build upon its market leadership and historical growth.”
Astatine has invested in more than 30 infrastructure businesses across North America and Europe that serve over 100 million customers annually in more than 550 cities globally. With investments across the digital, transportation, utility-related and essential services sectors, Astatine’s other current investments include ACL Airshop, a global leader in air cargo unit load device logistics; PECO Pallet, a transportation and logistics company; and Virginia International Gateway, the most highly automated container terminal in North America.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Astatine Investment Partners on the next chapter of McKeil’s growth journey and look forward to working together in pursuit of our long-standing mission to become Canada’s premier marine transportation provider,” said Scott Bravener, CEO of McKeil Marine. “We are confident that Astatine’s track record helping to scale marine transportation and logistics businesses makes them the ideal long-term partner for McKeil.”
Astatine Investment Partners is an independent, mid-market private equity firm focused on infrastructure investments. Based in Greenwich, CT, and London, AIP manages three funds that invest in infrastructure in North America and Europe. It target investments in the digital, transportation, utility-related and essential services sectors, with the objective of generating attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors through a combination of capital appreciation and a strong focus on cash yield.
AIP
Study Highlights the Positive Economic Impacts of Ontario’s Marine Industry
Tuesday during a virtual press conference, Hardeep Singh Grewal, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, and Steve Salmons, President and CEO of Windsor Port Authority and Chair of the Ontario Marine Council (the “OMC”), announced the release of a comprehensive independent study of the economic impacts of Ontario’s marine industry in 2022.
Titled “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Province of Ontario,” the study identifies the economic impacts created by all cargo and vessel activity in Ontario in 2022.
The study revealed that last year maritime commerce in Ontario:
• supported 67,154 jobs
• provided $3.95 billion (CAD) in wages
• generated $1.95 billion (CAD) in taxes
• created $9.6 billion (CAD) in economic activity.
Being able to provide such data to the Government of Ontario will help achieve the OMC’s strategic priorities to strengthen the Ontario marine industry’s competitiveness, job creation and training, environmental sustainability, and capacity for economic development and growth, while also supporting continued growth and success across binational and global markets.
The study was developed from a larger project undertaken by a public/private sector committee of American and Canadian maritime organizations. The intent with that larger project was to provide the navigation community, transportation planners, government policy makers, and the public with a credible, independent assessment of the economic contributions made by commercial maritime shipping throughout North America.
The industry’s vital contributions to jobs and wages, supply chain strength, business competitiveness across key commodities, and tax revenues provide strong rationale for major governmental initiatives aimed at strengthening marine’s multimodal networks, supporting infrastructure and economic development, investing in education, labour, and training, and greening marine transportation. Such initiatives include the recent release of the first ever Ontario Marine Transportation Strategy by the Government of Ontario.
“Clearly, marine shipping on the Great Lakes – St Lawrence Seaway System drives the heartbeat of the economy in Ontario. Our industry offers the most reliable and sustainable mode of moving what matters in North America. That includes grain, salt, cement, iron ore, construction materials, petroleum, and steel products – all of which are central to our quality of life and to the needs of consumers around the world. I am eager to build on this strength and create opportunities, in partnership with the Government of Ontario, in the near future,” said Steve Salmons, President & CEO of Windsor Port Authority and Chair of the Ontario Marine Council.
“”Fitzgerald Experience museum tour gives historical insights into Great Lakes shipwreck
TOLEDO, OH – This Saturday and Sunday the National Museum of the Great Lakes will honor the 48th anniversary of the loss of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald by offering 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. Tickets for the 75-minute tour are $20 for members and $25 for non-members, which includes museum admission. Advance registration is recommended.
Due to its historical accuracy, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship is not handicap or wheelchair accessible and may pose difficulties in accessibility for some. Guests are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather. If it is determined that the tours are impossible due to the weather, a refund of the ticket price (minus fees) will be provided. No make-up date is planned.
WHAT: Fitzgerald Experience
WHEN: Saturday, November 11 – Sunday, November 12, 2023 – 10am-5pm (Saturday) and 12pm-5pm (Sunday)
WHERE: National Museum of the Great Lakes, 1701 Front St., Toledo, OH 43605
ADMISSION: $20 Museum Members / $25 Non-Members
American Courage runs aground in St. Clair River near Marine City
615 PM UPDATE: Three tugs were working to pull American Courage free around 6:15 p.m.and appeared to be making some progress. The vessel’s unloading boom was swung out over the port side to transfer wight away from the grounded side.
2 PM UPDATE: The tug Manitou has arrived on scene. Tugs Ontario, Pennsylvania and Tenacious headed up from Detroit. There are no reports of injuries or pollution and the cause of the grounding is under investigation. Crews from the coast guard’s Detroit sector were assigned the response. “We are working closely with Grand River Navigation, our port partners, and international, federal and state entities to ensure the safety of the waterway and the quick resolution of this incident,” said Lt. j.g. Adeeb Ahmad, Sector Detroit’s public affairs officer. “With no injuries or pollution reported, our plan is to refloat the American Courage and coordinate with partner services for assistance and safe navigation.”
MARINE CITY, MI – Authorities are currently working to free a stuck freighter that appears to have run aground in the St. Clair River on Tuesday morning.
A tipster alerted WWJ to the disabled vessel just after 7:40 a.m. near Marine City Park at 102 Pearl St. The United States Coast Guard told WWJ that they were alerted to the situation moments before and were working to get more information.
The aground freighter was identified as the American Courage registered in Wilmington, Delaware. The vessel was slated to dock at the Marine City Terminal, but has been stuck in the middle of the river for a couple hours.
As seen through a Skyline webcam in Marine City, two workers in a small boat were seeing motoring around the ship, possibly checking for any damage or leaks. Around 8 a.m. a tug boat was seen assisting the freighter. No other details were released.
WJ Newsradio 950
Algoma Bear takes another step toward completion
The new self-unloader Algoma Bear is currently having her new boom installed at the outfitting berth at the Yangzijiang shipyard in China. The self-unloading system was designed by EMSTECH in Canada and custom-built for the vessel. It was delivered by barge in sections and assembled in the shipyard on the dock. A floating crane was used to lift it up from the dock and install it on board the vessel. Once all outfitting and commissioning is completed, sea trials will follow before she sails across the ocean to Canada and enters service for Algoma Central Corp.
Courtesy Janey Anderson/Ship Junkies
Seaway employees ratify contract
CORNWALL, ON – The 360 St. Lawrence Seaway employees who were on strike for more than a week have ratified their contract. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) says the three-year collective agreement was approved by the employees represented by the union Unifor. The Unifor-represented employees went on strike on October 22. A tentative agreement was reached this past weekend. The Seaway reopened early last Monday morning and the reopening plan was fully implemented by Wednesday.
WWNY
Obituary: Captain Anders A. Rasmussen, March 14,1947- Nov. 6, 2023
Retired Great Lakes Captain Anders A. Rasmussen lost his seven-yard battle with mesothelioma Nov. 6. Born in Denmark. He immigrated to Canada when he was 11 years old and began his maritime career in 1969 with the Canadian Coast Guard aboard the Alexander MacKenzie while stationed at Prince Rupert, BC.
In 1978 he shifted his career to the Great Lakes, joining the Algocen on April 3 at Port McNichol, ON. On May 13, 1979, Anders returned to the Algocen as firs Mate. In 1990, he was assigned captain of the Algoriver. In 2000 he became permanent skipper on the Algolake.
“He loved to tell the stories of his trip across the Atlantic with his brothers and Mom and Dad,” his wife Donna Rasmussen wrote Monday on a GoFundMe page launched to raise money for the organizations that meant the most to Anders.
“Soon after high school, he found his first true love, the sea,” she added. “Even in his last days he spoke so frequently about sailing. He had an amazing career and I’m so proud of his accomplishments. I’m so blessed that I was able to take so many trips with him and experience his love of the lakes firsthand. He never was truly at home when he was at home, he was like a fish out of water. But our lives were filled with love and laughter and our combined love of mini golf.”
Anders has requested no funeral, and no celebration of life. “As loud and bold as he was in life, he would like his departure to be a quiet passing,” Donna Rasmussen wrote.
The GoFundMe is to raise money for the organizations that meant the most to Anders; The Lamoille Area Cancer Network, Lamoille Home Health and Hospice and the Enosburg Falls Country Clubs Jr Golf program. So anything you would like to donate will be divided up the way he wished and it is with great thanks for your generosity. I hope to raise a good chunk so will leave this open until the celebration and announce how much we raised for each organization.
“Anders has left a larger-than-life mark on this life, and will leave an even bigger hole in our hearts,” she added.
WELLAND CANAL – With the Seaway strike ended, the USS Marinette (LCS 25) was downbound in the Welland Canal Saturday enroute to her homeport at Naval Station Mayport, FL. Since the Marinette is not equipped with bow thrusters, she was at time towed by the Picton, ON-based Doornekamp tug Amy Lynn D. tug.
The warship – with a modular weapons system, helicopter pad, ramp for small boats and which can be used by small assault forces – was built in Marinette, WI. Littoral combat ships operate in waters close to the shore. A number of the vessels have passed down the canal over the past number of years.
Marinette was moored at Cleveland during the strike.
Historic former shipyard buildings in Cleveland may be razed for concert venue
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The company behind Jacob’s Pavilion is going before the city’s planning commission with plans to build an indoor concert venue nearby.
Nautica Entertainment is taking revised plans to the Cleveland Planning Commission for its proposed Globe Iron Venue in the West Bank of the Flats. It would be located at the corner of Center and Elm streets, less than a mile from Nautica’s outdoor concert venue, the Jacob’s Pavilion.
The new venue is estimated to seat 1,200 people, and based on a presentation, would host over 100 concerts and events a year. Renderings showed several features, including a courtyard surrounded by a tall iron fence to provide security access within an L-shaped structure in the shadow of the pitch-roof industrial building.
Nautica hopes to get approval for both the renovation of the Globe Iron building and for the demolition of several surrounding buildings, including a four-story structure adjacent to the main Globe Iron building that has been listed national historic site since 1994.
Globe Iron was founded in 1853 by several people that include Samuel Lord, whom was the brother of pioneering real estate developer and Ohio City Mayor, Richard Lord, according to the Cleveland Historical. The main building with the pitched-roof was known as the Foundry, while neighboring four-story building, which dates back to 1886, was known as the Patterns Building.
An historic iron foundry located on Elm Street on the west bank of the Flats, Globe Iron Works was started in 1853 by several individuals including Samuel Lord, brother of Richard Lord, a pioneer real estate developer and mayor of Ohio City. It changed ownership several times before a majority interest in the foundry was purchased in 1869 by Henry Coffinberry and partners Robert Wallace and John Pankhurst. The company, which produced engines, boilers and other iron products, grew after its purchase by Coffinberry and his partners. In 1876, it purchased an interest in a dry dock and soon was building ships under the name of Globe Ship Building Company. In 1882, it launched the Onoko, generally regarded as the prototype for all iron and steel-hulled freighters that sail the Great Lakes today.
During the company’s last appearance before the commission in August, it argued that the Patterns Building could not be saved, was unsafe and was a challenge to find buyers and investors.
Commission members were skeptical that nothing could be done to save the Patterns building, which they deemed “a part of the city’s industrial heritage.” Though the commission approved of demolishing two other buildings, the four-story structure has been Nautica’s hardest sell. The commission urged Nautica to bring back more evidence as to why they should approve the demolition.
Canada’s Davie completes purchase of Helsinki Shipyard from Russia’s Algador
TORONTO, ON – Canadian firm Davie Shipbuilding has completed the purchase of Helsinki Shipyard, maker of Arctic icebreaking vessels, from Russian-owned Algador Holdings after securing regulatory approval, Davie said on Friday.
Regulators said the deal was not in violation of sanctions on Moscow, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.
While the terms of the purchase agreement are confidential, the transaction was funded by a combination of Davie’s own funds and by 77 million euros ($81.77 million) of financing from the Québec government, according to a statement from Davie.
Privately-owned Davie announced the purchase of the Finnish company months ago. The deal will help Canada deliver on its C$8.5 billion ($6.2 billion) national shipbuilding strategy program.
Algador Holdings is owned by Russian businessmen Rishat Bagautdinov and Vladimir Kasyanenko, who is also a Belgian citizen. Quebec-based Davie worked with regulators in Finland, the EU, Canada, the UK and the U.S. to ensure the deal was not in violation of sanctions related to Russia’s war in Ukraine, said the source, who was not authorised to speak about the matter publicly.
Closure of the deal dragged out because of due diligence and financial, regulatory and legal considerations, according to a source with knowledge of the matter, the source added.
Algador purchased the yard from Russia’s sanctioned United Shipbuilding Corporation in 2019.
Davie, which is nearly 200 years old, is one of three shipbuilders helping to deliver on Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, with their part being to deliver seven icebreakers.
Reuters
Shipwreck Museum’s 48th Anniversary Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Event to be virtual in 2023
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum’s annual Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony will be a virtual ceremony this year. The event, scheduled for Friday, November 10, 2023 (7pm), will be available on a live-stream access, details to be announced soon. The livestream link will be posted on www.shipwreckmuseum.com during the week of the event.
The buildings of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, will not be open to the public on November 10, 2023. In addition, the Michigan Maritime Museum (www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org) of South Haven, MI, will host a viewing of the Shipwreck Museum’s Edmund Fitzgerald (live-streamed) memorial service.
Environmental Hazard as Cargo Ship Loses Containers in Canadian Far North
The Nunavut government and Canada last week were scrambling to deal with a potential environmental issue and boating hazard in the northernmost territory, a region located south of the Arctic Circle but with a polar climate and freezing cold for much of the year. Late on Friday afternoon, October 27, a cargo vessel that provides a vital supply line to the remote region had an accident losing a portion of its cargo into the harbor.
Canadian Coast Guard and NEAS, operators of Nunavik Eastern Arctic Shipping, worked to locate the cargo which is reported to be floating in the harbor. The government is advising that 20 shipping containers and assorted freight fell off the cargo ship Sivumut and into Frobisher Bay near the Iqaluit port.
The vessel was built in 2010 and registered in Canada, it can transport up to 655 containers or loose cargo. The vessel has two onboard cranes for cargo handling. The pictures appearing online show the vessel at anchor with the containers floating behind the ship
NGCC Henry Larsen provided air support with the helicopter, which helped locate missing containers..
NMGL Christmas Tree Ship Community Giveback Day is Dec. 3 in Toledo
TOLEDO, OH – On Saturday, December 2, the National Museum of the Great Lakes, in partnership with Geo. Gradel Co., invites individuals to join a holiday tradition by welcoming back the ”Christmas Tree Ship.”
Thanks to funding from The University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC), museum admission will be free.
On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Remembered as the Christmas Tree Ship, her captain, Herman E. Schuenemann, was known for giving trees to families in need. This story provides the inspiration behind the Museum’s community giveback event encouraging individuals to make a memory to last a lifetime by watching Santa arrive at the museum’s dock delivering Christmas Tree and holiday support.
“Museums have been shown to increase our sense of well-being and make us feel healthier. They inspire, challenge and stimulate us, while also making us proud of where we come from,” said museum spokesperson Kate Fineske. “The Christmas Tree Ship Community Giveback Day allows us to connect individuals on the East Bank of the Maumee River and access the Great Lakes with their maritime roots while providing healthy holiday support.”
The event asks individuals to “get a tree or give a tree” as well as provide holiday support by donating towards gift cards for its community partners. In addition, for every donation made, UTMC will match individual gifts with a healthy hygiene kit for community members in need.
Following the parade, guests are asked to walk or drive to the museum where Santa and a boatload of Christmas trees will arrive to receive visitors in front of the Museum Tug Ohio. To learn more about the event, purchase a tree for yourself or individuals in need, or provide holiday support with a donation visit nmgl.org or call 419-214-5000.
Newlab & Mythos AI Launch In-Shore Autonomous Boat Pilot
Detroit, MI – Newlab, an innovation platform for deep tech startups, has announced Mythos AI as the first participant for its Multimodal Logistics Challenge – a coalition of startups, industry leaders and government agencies working to improve efficiency and resilience in supply chains through groundbreaking pilot projects.
Mythos AI is advancing maritime commerce by mapping marine highways while simultaneously training algorithms for self-driving in-shore vessels. Together with Newlab, the Port of Monroe, and Michigan Central, the company is conducting an 8-week pilot to map the port berths and anchorages at the Port of Monroe which will create a digital twin of the region and expose the machine learning to waterway-specific conditions.
The ultimate goal of these advancements is to create automated marine highways, which are the key to increasing port efficiency, lowering maritime carbon emissions, and creating supply chain resilience. Disaggregated marine shipping will use smaller boats, rivers, and in-land waterways to move goods more efficiently and resolve bottlenecks.
“The Great Lakes-St Lawrence System is one of the most complex marine highway networks in the world, thus making us a prime test platform for innovative maritime technologies,” said Port of Monroe Port Director Paul LaMarre.
“Newlab’s development process is facilitating new relationships with startups that will allow us to transform our Port facilities into a living lab for the future of logistics. Our pilot with Mythos AI has immediately enhanced our situational awareness of our waterway while providing critical data for real-time navigation and engineering applications.”
Newlab’s Multimodal Logistics Challenge is tackling historical underinvestment in transportation infrastructure. In partnership with cutting-edge startups like Mythos AI, Newlab is driving supply chain resilience by establishing sustainable transportation nodes that create critical redundancy across supply chains.
“Ports are critical logistics nodes that must remain at the forefront of technological advancement to keep up with the rise in shipping and maritime activity,” said Sahil Jain, Director of Strategy at Newlab. “By digitizing and automating port infrastructure and operations, we can achieve a transformative shift towards decentralized and decarbonized multi-modal logistics. This pilot at the Port of Monroe is the first step to accelerating the utilization of marine highways for sustainable and scalable freight movement.”
“This pilot demonstrates the potential we unlock by extending the Michigan Central-Newlab testing network over land, air, and maritime mobility nodes throughout the region,” said Matt Whitaker, Michigan Central’s Director, Mobility Innovation Platform. “Bringing Mythos AI and the Port of Monroe together not only advances sustainable, real-world mobility solutions, it also drives economic development for our communities.”
“Self-driving vessel technology will reshape maritime logistics,” said Mythos AI CEO Geoff Douglass. “Scaling this innovation to other ports will transform antiquated systems, reduce emissions, and drive economic growth on a global scale. Our partnership with Newlab has been instrumental to getting us the access we need to derisk this technology much quicker than we would have been able to on our own.”
To read more and join Newlab’s Multimodal Logistics Challenge, visit our website at: https://www.newlab.com/opencalls/expanding-multi-modal-logistics-to-drive-supply-chain-resilience
McKeil’s new Northern Venture makes Lake Erie debut
Northern Venture, McKeil Marine Ltd.’s newest vessel, passed through the Welland Canal Wednesday headed for Fairport, OH. Last year McKeil Marine purchased the M/V Da Shen and has been busy having it retrofitted. She is the first self-unloader in their fleet and will mainly be operating in the northern Great Lakes.
Badger gets go-ahead to repair dock infrastructure
LUDINGTON, Mich. — The S.S. Badger is closer to running again for the 2024 season. Lake Michigan Carferry, which operates the iconic ferry, announced Wednesday it has obtained the last of the needed permits to rebuild the Badger’s dock infrastructure.
The news comes several months after trips across Lake Michigan were suspended due to an issue with the Badger’s ramping system. Work to build new counterweight rigs might begin this week.
“We’re very excited to receive the much-anticipated federal and state permits to start construction on the lifting mechanism for the apron here in Ludington,” says General Manager Sara Spore. “It’s a major step forward in the concerted effort to get the Badger back underway to serve our port communities and carry passengers and transport freight across our marine highway on Lake Michigan.”
Al Bufka Construction Inc. will begin preparing for the demolition of the Badger’s counterweight on its port side, according to Lake Michigan Carferry. Meanwhile, The King Construction Co. and Underwater Construction Corporation will address the work that needs to be done below water before ice forms this winter.
Fox West Michigan
Interlake’s James R. and Mark W. Barker earn maritime heritage service award
James R. Barker and Mark W. Barker were honored last week with the 2023 The National Maritime Historical Society Distinguished Service Award in recognition of their expertise in marine transportation and their work preserving the maritime heritage of the Great Lakes. The society was particularly impressed that Interlake has acquired the historic ferry SS Badger, the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes, a National Historic Landmark and an icon on Lake Michigan since 1953.
“We applaud the Interlake Steamship Company’s commitment to ensure their fleet is at the forefront of technology and environmental stewardship by reducing air emissions, protecting waterways, and minimizing the environmental footprint while delivering essential cargoes to drive the economy of the Great Lakes region and the nation,” said HMHS in a press release
“As Chairman of the Interlake Steamship Company, James R. Barker leads the largest privately held US flag fleet on the Great Lakes. President Mark W. Barker is a strong leader with a clear voice on industry issues at the state and national levels. The Interlake Steamship Company is US-built, US-owned, and US-crewed—critical for our country, and for our national security.
“The Society congratulates Mark Barker on the 639-foot M/V Mark Barker, the first large bulk freighter constructed in the US for use on the Great Lakes since 1983. We are particularly impressed that Interlake has acquired the historic ferry SS Badger, the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes, a National Historic Landmark and an icon on Lake Michigan since 1953. We recognize Mark Barker’s contributions to maritime heritage as chairman of the National Museum of the Great Lakes.”
The Interlake Steamship Company is a family-owned company tracing its history of more than 100 years on the Great Lakes.
The National Maritime Historical Society
Today’s Virtual Visitor Center features Fitzgerald program
Shipwreck Historian Ric Mixter is one of the few people who have visited the Edmund Fitzgerald’s wreck site in person. He joins us in the Virtual Visitor Center to share more than 20 years of research into the career and tragic loss of this ship. Ric will share first hand accounts of Capt. McSorely’s reputation as a “heavy weather sailor” and examine investigations into the Fitzgerald’s loss. The program will be recorded, but join us in person November 2 at 12:30 ET to hear Ric’s insights into the tragic sinking and to ask questions. https://meet.goto.com/VirtualVisitorCenter/fitzgerald
