Historic Keewatin on the move
WEDNESDAY UPDATE: The tow is due at the Bluewater Bridge between 10-11 a.m.
The tug Molly M1 towed the retired passenger/museum ship Keewatin out of Port McNicoll, ON, on Monday around 5 p.m. The tow was making 5.7 knots at 9 p.m. The tug Manitou will assist from Port Huron to the lower Detroit River. Vigilant 1 will assist through the Welland Canal. The tow is bound for the Heddle Marine shipyard at Hamilton, ON. After drydocking, the Keewatin will be towed to her hew home at the Maritime Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, ON.
Janey Anderson
Kaye E. Barker freed from sand bar at Muskegon
Muskegon, MI – At approximately 10 a.m. Monday, the M/V Kaye E. Barker grounded just off the Muskegon outer breakwall as it approached the harbor at a slow speed. There were attempts to free the vessel with tugs, including Meredith Ashton. Eventually a barge was dispatched to lighter some of the cargo. She was released Monday evening and was inbound to unload. Algoma Buffalo, which had been waiting outside of the harbor for the Barker to get underway, was inbound at 8:15 p.m.
The Barker was loaded with approximately 25,408 net tons of stone from Meldrum Bay, ON, according to Interlake Steamship Co., which owns the vessel. The lake bottom was surveyed, and it was confirmed that there was sand around the vessel.
MacArthur Lock now open for the season
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – The MacArthur Lock at the Soo Locks officially opened for the navigation season Monday. The first ship through was the Great Republic.
The 79-year-old MacArthur Lock is 800 feet long by 80 feet wide and can accommodate vessels smaller than 730 feet long and 76 feet wide.
While down for winter maintenance, Corps of Engineers Soo Locks crews completed tainter valve repairs, installed encoders, replaced fender timbers on the piers and performed inspections and preventative maintenance on electrical and mechanical systems.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
