UPDATE: Norisle completes final voyage to scrapyard

At 07:00 on the morning of Thursday, October 12, Norisle arrived the MRC scrapyard in Port Colborne, ON, under tow of McKeil Marine’s tug Ecosse. McKeil fleetmate Vac was on hand to assist in bringing the retired ferry alongside the berthing dock. According to MRC owner Wayne Elliott, Norisle will be rolled ashore for scrapping once dismantling of the barge Joseph H. Thompson is complete. Tecumseh is also on the property waiting in line for the torch.

Norisle was built at Collingwood, ON, in 1946 and shuttled people and vehicles between Tobermory, ON, and Manitoulin Island from 1947 to 1974 before being replaced by the current ferry Chi-Cheemaun. She was used as a floating museum in Manitowaning, ON, since the Township of Assiginack purchased it for $1 in 1975. Various efforts to preserve the vessel were unsuccessful.

Boatnerd

 

After 100 years, shipwreck hunters find steel freighter Huronton at bottom of Lake Superior

The story of the crew’s rescue was known, but where the ship sank wasn’t — until recently.

The Huronton that sank to the bottom of Lake Superior 100 years ago was discovered this summer by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.

The recently announced discovery tells the tale of misfortune and bravery of the crews of two freighters that collided in 1923 amid heavy fog and forest fire smoke.

“Finding any shipwreck is exciting,” society executive director Bruce Lynn said Wednesday. “But to think that we’re the first human eyes to look at this vessel 100 years after it sank, not many people have the opportunity to do that.”

The society, founded in 1978 at Whitefish Point, systematically trolls the lake depths with sonar to find shipwrecks.

Back in 1923, the swift actions of one of the ship’s captains saved the sinking vessel’s crew, and the selflessness of the first mate saved the ship’s mascot, a bulldog that got left behind as the others scrambled to safety.

According to the historical society:

The 238-foot-long Huronton and the 416-foot-long Cetus were traveling too fast and collided. The bow of the Cetus ripped a hole in the port side of the Huronton. The two ships locked together.

But the captain of the Cetus kept moving forward, which had the effect of plugging the hole in the Huronton long enough for its crew to escape. The mascot, a bulldog, was left onboard.

The first mate, however, rescued it, risking his own life to run into the sinking ship’s flooding section, untie the dog and carry it back to the Cetus, just as the Huronton sank, 800 feet below the Great Lake’s surface.

Lynn said the discovery of shipwrecks is exciting, not just because they haven’t been seen for decades, but because they are “a part of our past,” time capsules of what life was like a century — or more — ago.

The Sault News

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Norisle Scrap Tow Resumes After Weather Delay

After a layover at Windsor, ON, for high winds, the Norisle scrap tow to Port Colborne, ON, scrapyard has resumed. Tuesday late evening they were approaching Lake Erie’s Pelee Passage. Rack them on AIS by searching for her tug, Ecosse.

Norisle was built at Collingwood, ON, in 1946 and shuttled people and vehicles between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island from 1947 to 1974 before being replaced by the current ferry Chi-Cheemaun. She was used as a floating museum in Manitowaning, ON, since the Township of Assiginack purchased it for $1 in 1975. Various efforts to preserve the vessel were unsuccessful.

 

McKeil’s New Northern Venture Unloads First Cargo

McKeil Marine’s newest addition to its fleet (and its first self-unloader) Northern Venture has entered service after a successful delivery trip from Japan. Her first unload is blast furnace slag from Japan which she was unloading at Picton, ON, Tuesday.

 

Tug John Purves to go to dry dock this winter

Surgeon Bay, WI – You only will have a couple of more weeks to check out the Tug John Purves before it heads across the bay for some much-needed tender, loving care. The Door County Maritime Museum, which began offering tours of the tug boat in 2008, secured the last piece of funding needed to make a number of repairs to the vessel’s hull among other improvements. Deputy Director and Development Manager Sam Perlman says it is important for the Tug John Purves to be preserved for future generations to tour, something over 70,000 people have already been able to experience.

Perlman says the plan right now is for the Tug John Purves to be towed by Roen Salvage across the bay to Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding where it will be put in dry dock for its repairs as other visiting vessels come to Sturgeon Bay for the winter fleet. The tug will return to its rightful spot by the Door County Maritime Museum in time for the start of the 2024 season in May.

Dorr County Daily News

 

$31M deep-water port under construction at Soo

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – A major maritime shoreline revitalization project in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will bring both economic and climate benefits when it expectedly reopens to the public next summer.

The multi-million-dollar project involves repairs at the old Union Carbide Dock seawall in Sault Ste. Marie, cleanup of legacy pollution from calcium carbide manufacturing, improvement of mooring and bulk storage abilities, and the reopening of a community park and boardwalk with public access to the St. Marys River.

Work remains underway on the $31 million project and when finished in July 2024, the upgraded site will provide a valuable deep-water port on the lower St. Marys River for freighters or cruise ships within walking distance of the Soo’s downtown.

There will be an improved seawall and mooring space to accommodate boats and ships from pleasure craft to 1,000-foot bulk freighters. The dock will be open for vessel maintenance, refueling, and dumping wastewater.

Read more at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2023/10/31m-deep-water-port-in-the-works-on-sault-ste-marie-waterfront.html?fbclid=IwAR3yJMQ2IUwJRF83TwuJvFgONE7BcWkXqmiiHKbNzwYYkpyVKZm_E3anqQA

 

Authors, Artists Saturday at Port Huron Maritime Center

Featuring
Roger LeLievre – “Know Your Ships”  + the new Extra Magazine
Roger P. Hulett – Author of “A Lot More To Do,”the story of his friend Frank Mays’ Survival of the tragic Carl D. Bradley sinking and Frank’s remarkable life

Plus
Artist Harry McTaggart
Photographer Mary Truchan

See the flier below for details.

 

Norisle scrap tow passes Port Huron

The Norisle scrap tow passed downbound at Port Huron/Sarnia just before dusk Thursday. The former Georgia Bay passenger and auto ferry was being towed to the scrapyard at Port Colborne, ON, by the tug Ecosse. Friday morning they were moored at Windsor.

Norisle was built in Collingwood, ON, in 1946 and shuttled people and vehicles between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island from 1947 to 1974 before being replaced by the current ferry Chi-Cheemaun.

Norisle has been used as a floating museum in Manitowaning, ON, since the Township of Assiginack purchased it for $1 in 1975. Various efforts to preserve the vessel were unsuccessful.

Northern Venture Expected at Montreal Oct. 8

McKeil Marine’s newest addition to its fleet (and its first self-unloader) Northern Venture will arrive at Montreal Oct. 8 estimated ETA 0500. The time expected to change as they will lose speed transiting the Seaway. She is traveling with a load of blast furnace slag from Japan bound for Picton, ON.

Gallery photo courtesy Bill Sly, AB onboard Northern Venture

Lakes Limestone Trade Down 2.6 Percent in September

CLEVELAND, OH – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.4 million tons in September, a decrease of 2.6 percent compared to a year ago.  Limestone cargos were below the month’s 5-year average by 5.5 percent.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.8 million tons, a decrease of 2.4 percent from 2022.  Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 651,520 tons, a decrease of 3.5 percent.

Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 19.7 million tons, a decrease of 6.6 percent compared to a year ago.  Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 15.9 million tons, a decrease of 4.6 percent.  Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.8 million tons, a decrease of 13.8 percent.

Lake Carriers’ Association

 

LSMMA Gales of November on the horizon

The Lake Superior Marine Museum Association’s annual Gales of November event will be taking place on November 10–11, 2023, in Duluth, MN. Click here for more details and to register.

LSMMA

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Cuyahoga Back in Service After Fire

The M/V Cuyahoga, which suffered a serious engine room fire while on Lake Erie in late May, was bound for Calcite, MI, to load on Wednesday after sea trials were successfully completed Tuesday night. She was repaired at Ashtabula, OH.

The Cuyahoga is the oldest Canadian-registered lake boat still in active service and the sole survivor of the A1-class of World War II-era Maritimers.

Editor’s Note: The October 2 News has also been published. It was delayed due to a computer glitch.

 

Norisle Scrap Tow to be Wednesday

The McKeil Marine tug Ecosse is expected to tow the former Georgian Bay passenger and auto ferry Norisle from Manitoulin Island to the Marine Recycling Corp. scrapyard at Port Colborne, ON, Wednesday. Departure time is not known. Watch for Ecosse on vessel tracking sites such as Marine Traffic.

 

Algoma signs extension of iron ore contract with U.S. Steel

Algoma Steel Group Inc., announced Monday a two-year extension of its existing iron ore purchase contract with U.S. Steel, with an option to further extend for a third year solely at Algoma’s discretion.

Algoma says the extended purchase contract is anticipated to cover the expected volumes of iron ore required to complete its transition from blast to electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.

The extension with U. S. Steel represents another “strategic milestone” for the steelmaker as it “continues on its transformative journey” toward sustainable steel production through electric arc steelmaking.

“We are excited to extend our partnership with U.S.Steel, which we believe not only reinforces our strong collaboration but also aligns with our broader mission of transitioning to more sustainable steelmaking practices,” Algoma CEO Michael Garcia said in a release.

“We believe that the extension of this agreement provides the foundation for a reliable supply chain and uninterrupted access to essential raw materials to meet our production capacity and service the demands of our valued customers throughout North America.”

It was reported in June that Algoma will pay more, and wait longer, for its new electric arc furnaces to start working. The Sault Ste. Marie steelmaker projects spending $125 million to $175 million more than expected due to “inflationary pressures on construction costs and materials.” Algoma Steel’s board of directors approved spending $700 million on the furnaces in fall 2021.

Projected start date for the new furnaces is pushed back about six months. An expected launch in mid-2024 is now delayed to year-end 2024 because “global supply chain disruptions” are slowing delivery of “certain” microprocessing chips, a company release said.

The Q4 and F2023 year-end conference call revealed that it’s expected about $300-$350 million will be spent this fiscal year on the electric arc furnace project, and a further $110-$150 million on other maintenance or capital projects, including the completion of the plate and strip facility upgrades.

 

Muskegon to Milwaukee Lake Express car ferry on track for ‘best year ever’

MUSKEGON, MI – In its 20th season, the Lake Express is expected to have a banner year. Designed to bypass Chicago area traffic, the high-speed catamaran car ferry that connects Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Muskegon, Michigan, has officially left the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic in its wake, officials say.

“Been through a lot with COVID and the other things going on but what we saw starting last year, and continuing this year, is a real appetite for travel,” said Aaron Schultz, senior vice president for the Lake Express. “We’re having what we think will be our best year ever.”

The 192-foot ferry has a top speed of 34 knots, about 39 miles per hour, carrying up to 250 passengers. The high-speed car and passenger ferry boasts the fastest ferry service on Lake Michigan, crossing the around 80 miles in about 2.5 hours. Drive time from Muskegon to Milwaukee is about 4.5 hours.

“We’re meant to go fast,” Schultz said.

“We’ve got full car decks, people coming from all over,” Schultz said. “About 50 different countries have come through, all 50 states, and everyday we’re seeing people from dozens of states – even into the fall months here, we’re going strong.”

Built in Alabama in 2003, it was the first American-made ship of its kind. The Lake Express began relinking Milwaukee and Muskegon via cross-lake ferry in the spring of 2004, resuming the route left behind by the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper, which was discontinued in 1970.

The Lake Express is currently the only car ferry crossing Lake Michigan after the historic S.S. Badger, connecting Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, – a four hour journey – ended the 2023 sailing season early after damage to its ramp system in July.

“We saw a significant boost of travelers in the days after the Badger dock failure as we worked hard to assist passengers stranded by the cancellations,” Schultz responded to MLive/Muskegon Chronicle in an email.

“We were already experiencing increased traveler volumes in spring and summer prior to the SS Badger closure and continue to see added ridership as former Badger customers continue to choose the Lake Express to avoid the long drive around Lake Michigan and Chicago traffic hassles and congestion.”

M Live

 

Nine years in the making — the story behind discovering a Lake Superior shipwreck

Earlier this month, Jerry Eliason and Ken Merryman found the Henry Steinbrenner about 750 feet deep in Lake Superior, south of Isle Royale. It’s the latest in what has been a remarkable series of Great Lakes discoveries by the two men, going back decades.

Ken Merryman joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the find.

Click here for full article

MPR

 

Relative of man who died on Lake Superior reacts to news of shipwreck’s discovery

Madge Alberts was just getting up Wednesday morning in Pine Island, Minn., when her husband called to her.

“Come to the computer, you have to read this,” she recalled him saying. “He dragged me to the computer and I was like, ‘Really, you’re going to make me read a story about politics before I even have coffee?’ And he laughed and said, ‘Just read it.’”

“Well, I got one paragraph into it, and got teary-eyed and goosebumps from head to foot.”

The article on the MPR News website was about the recent discovery of the wreck of the freighter Henry Steinbrenner in Lake Superior. The ship sank in a storm in 1953 with the loss of 17 of its 31 crew members — including Alberts’ great-uncle, Earl Hemmingson.

Alberts was 5 when the ship sank. She spoke Friday with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition.

“I’m getting goosebumps again with you talking about it,” Alberts said.

“Two-thirds of the way down the story there was a clip from the Duluth Herald that said three Duluth men were killed in the shipwreck, and Earl was listed. And that’s the first time I had seen his name in any sort of a newspaper clip of it,” she said, recalling reading the article.

“It just made it real for me. It’s something that I’ve been sort of obsessed with all my life … about what happened to him.”

Click here for full article

MPR

 

1897-vintage tug America rechristened at Monroe

The 1897-vintage tug America has had her original name restored. During a short ceremony Saturday, September 30 at the Port of Monroe, MI, during Monroe Heritage Days. The vessel is the oldest commercially operating tug in the world, says Paul C. LaMarre III, Director of the Port of Monroe, MI, and also her frequent captain.

To mark the tug’s rechristening, champagne was liberally smashed over the name by Paul C. LaMarre Jr., Great Lakes maritime historian and tugboat captain. With more than 45 years of Great Lakes tugboat experience, he works for Detroit-based Gaelic Tugboat Co. He is also Paul C. LaMarre III’s father. With them was Gregg Thauvette, VP, Operations, The Great Lakes Towing.

This tug was built in 1897 by the Union Dry Dock Company of Buffalo, NY as the America. In 1899 she was acquired by the newly-formed Great Lakes Towing Company of Cleveland, OH, and was an original member of their fleet. She was eventually retired by the Towing Company, but got a new lease on life in 1941, when she was rebuilt with a new pilothouse and re-entered service. Later that same year, the America capsized on the Detroit River, and six lives were lost. The tug was raised and continued service. In 1950 she was converted from steam to diesel power. In 1982, the America was renamed Midway. The following year, her name was changed again, this time to Wisconsin. The Wisconsin continued to operate under that name until 2021, when she was renamed Georgia.

Roger LeLievre

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Video of the tug America rechristening in Monroe, MI, courtesy of Roger LeLievre.

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Heritage Days: “An Extravaganza of Americana” underway at Port of Monroe

The once-in-a-lifetime Heritage Days celebration at the Port of Monroe is taking place this weekend! Click here for more info and a full list of attractions.

Port of Monroe

 

“New Lock at the Soo: Highlights of a Busy Year” virtual presentation coming this week

2023 has been an incredibly productive year of for the New Lock at the Soo. Project Manager, Mollie Mahoney, joins us in the Virtual Visitor Center with a presentation about the ongoing construction. Mollie will highlight the progress made so far and work planned for next year and beyond. Join us at 12:30 EDT (11:30 CDT) Thursday, October 5 by clicking here.

USACE

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Press Release: Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center celebrates 50 years

DULUTH, Minn. – The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth, Minnesota celebrates 50 years with an event Thursday, September 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center and the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association will host a celebration with refreshments, a look back at the history of the Visitor Center including photos, old park ranger uniforms and some rarely-before-seen artifacts from the collection.

“We are looking forward to celebrating this anniversary with the public,” Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center Director Sara Summers-Luedtke said. “The Visitor Center sees about 1.1 million visitors to the Duluth Canal Park each year.”

The event will be open to the public and will be held at the Visitor Center located at:

600 Canal Park Dr.

Duluth, Minn. 55802.

For more details, contact the Visitor Center information desk at (218)-788-6430.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

 

Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center celebrates 50 years of shining a light on shipping

The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center is having a golden moment. It turns 50 years old on Friday.

They celebrated a day early with some cake. And they brought out a few extra pieces from the collection.

“The maritime museum does a great job capturing and telling the story of the role the Great Lakes play in American history,” commented Mark Eckel, who is from Minneapolis.

Another visitor, Tamara Sather, added, “I see something new each time I come visit. Seeing the progression of the ships and how they’ve changed. Wow, this goes so far back!”

Click here for full article

WDIO

 

Planes, trains and tugboats: History, future of transportation focus of Port of Monroe Heritage Days

MONROE, Mich. — A free event this weekend will celebrate a major player in the Great Lakes economy, and aims to inspire the next generation of tugboat captains.

The Port of Monroe is the largest concentration of intermodal infrastructure in southeast Michigan.

To commemorate its importance and look to the future of the industry, port leadership wanted to offer the community a chance to get behind the scenes access and learn more about what happens here during the Heritage Days at the Port of Monroe this weekend.

“The thing about the transportation industry is it’s really cool: you get to go out on boats, you get to be on trains, you get to drive trucks,” Vincent Cioletti, Business and Operations Manager at the Port of Monroe said.

The workhorse of any water-based port is the tugboat. Along with steam and diesel tractors, local vendors and WWII plane flyovers, three historic tugboats will be on display.

This includes Tugboat America, which was built in 1897 and is the oldest operating tugboat in the world.

Click here for full article

WTOL

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MV Nukumi named “Vessel of the Year” at Marine Propulsion Decarbonisation 2023 Awards

We are delighted to announce that MV Nukumi has been honoured as a “Vessel of the Year” at the 2023 Marine Propulsion Decarbonisation Awards. The esteemed award, which was presented in Amsterdam on September 26, acknowledges vessels that pioneer new standards in vessel optimization, maritime decarbonisation, and sustainability. MV Nukumi’s visionary design and superior performance solidified its win.

Purpose-designed for Windsor Salt, MV Nukumi is a diesel-electric self-unloading vessel, emphasizing an eco-friendly approach. The ship boasts multiple innovations aimed at minimizing GHGs, air pollutants, and its environmental impact as a whole. Notably, the vessel is equipped with diesel-electric tier 3 engines, a ballast water treatment system, a waste heat recovery system, and quieter machinery.

In terms of operations, MV Nukumi features a fully automated single-point loading system coupled with a state-of-the-art cargo handling mechanism. This eliminates vessel shifting during the loading process, paving the way for safer and more streamlined operations. Furthermore, its modern hull design and twin-fin diesel-electric propulsion grant the vessel exceptional manoeuvrability. This ensures faster transits through narrow channels, even at lower tides.

MV Nukumi isn’t new to accolades. In 2022, the ship was named the IBJ Bulk Ship of the Year and recognized as a Significant Ship of the Year by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. Moreover, CSL’s engineering collaborator, EMS-Tech, earned the 2022 IBJ Award for the Best Ship Loading/Unloading System, for MV Nukumi’s advanced cargo handling system.

The Vessel of the Year award was presented to Jakob Hansen, CSL’s Senior Vice-President of Commercial and Transhipment, by Ossi Mettälä of NAPA Shipping Solutions during a gala dinner at the Maritime Decarbonisation, Europe Conference, hosted by Riviera Maritime Media.

Canada Steamship Lines

 

Anchoring the story: TV6′s Elizabeth Peterson begins ore boat adventure aboard the Lee A. Tregurtha

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – The Lee A. Tregurtha, one of the Great Lakes’ oldest freighters, is departing Marquette Tuesday for its 49th journey this season, and TV6′s Elizabeth Peterson is on board.

The bulk carrier’s history dates back over eighty years. It first operated in 1942 as a World War II Navy tanker, serving under the name USS Chiwawa. With a 501-foot length, 68-foot beam, and 30-foot depth, the vessel traveled to several countries across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, including Scotland, Morroco, and Aruba, and was also present in Japan for the Tokyo Bay Surrender Ceremony in 1945.

In the years following its decommissioning in 1946, the freighter underwent a series of ownerships, name changes, and expansions. It was renamed the Walter A. Sterling after its purchase by the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company in 1960. The freighter underwent several expansions, measuring up to 826′ x 75′ x 39′ and supported a 29,360-ton capacity. The ship was sold to the Ford Motor fleet in 1985 and was renamed the William Clay. The vessel would be acquired four years later in 1989 by the Interlake Steamship Company. It was christened Lee A. Tregurtha after the wife of the company’s vice chairman.

The historic carrier arrived at Marquette’s Ore Dock around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday after traveling from Dearborn, Michigan. It will carry nearly 26,000 tons of taconite pellets en route to Burn Harbor, Indiana.

Click here for full article

Upper Michigan’s Source

 

Harrowing stories resurface in newly discovered Lake Superior shipwreck

In its final moments trapped in a storm south of Isle Royale, the freighter Henry Steinbrenner listed then surrendered, tossing the crew members still left on deck into the unforgiving grip of Lake Superior.

Adrift amid mountainous and frigid waves, the men who managed to escape the sinking freighter clung to lifeboats — clung to life itself — as the spring storm raged around them.

“My mouth got full of water. I was getting numb. Just then the ship started to go down and the awful suction started pulling me down with it,” a survivor, Bernard Oberoski, told a Duluth Herald reporter the next day. “The water closed over me. I wondered how my mother and father would take the news that I had been lost at sea.”

Oberoski fought his way to the surface and spotted a lifeboat the men had set loose just before the ship went under. As he struggled to make headway in the freezing water, “a giant wave just seemed to push the boat toward me,” he recounted. “It was really a miracle.”

For 17 of his shipmates, however, the miracle never came. Despite heroic efforts from the crews of ships who’d heard the Steinbrenner’s distress call and rushed to help, maneuvering their mammoth steel vessels with remarkable precision to find and pluck the half-frozen survivors from amid the waves, only 14 of 31 of the men aboard the Steinbrenner survived.

The story of the Steinbrenner — a tale of tragedy, survival and heroism on the big lake 70 years ago — was largely lost to time and fading memories. Until now.

The wreck of the Henry Steinbrenner was found earlier this month in 750 feet of water by a pair of Minnesota shipwreck-hunters, shedding new light on the story of the ship, its crew and those who came to save them.

“It’s important to remember these wrecks and the people that worked on the ships,” said Ken Merryman, who along with Jerry Eliason located the Steinbrenner. “When we find the wrecks, it’s a way of keeping the memories alive.”

Click here for full article

Minnesota Public Radio

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