New CSL cement carrier to be named Tamarack

Eureka Shipping, a provider high-efficiency cement carrier services jointly owned by SMT Shipping and The CSL Group, announced last April, the start of construction of this state-of-art mechanical/pneumatic cement ship specifically designed for operation in the Great Lakes.

Tamarack will be more suitable for lake trade than Sunnanvik, which is a deep draft vessel. Tamarack will have diesel-electric propulsion system, modern, fuel-efficient engines capable of operating on HVO biofuel and two rudder propellers with 360-degree thrust, plus a powerful bowthruster, for superior maneuverability.

The steelwork for Tamarack has been completed in China, and the hull towed to Holland Shipyard Group in the Netherlands, where she is being equipped with systems and electronics. Delivery is expected later this season.

Eureka Shipping/CSL Group

Port of Green Bay sees first arrival for 2025’s shipping season

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The first ship of the 2025 shipping season has officially arrived in at the Port of Green Bay, carrying cement. The Port of Green Bay said the shipping season kicked off as the Innovation with Tug Samuel De Champlain arrived on March 12, at 1:49 p.m.

“This year’s shipping season is now underway just two days later than last year’s start,” Director Dean Haen said via the release. “This makes for an early start and has us looking forward to what our new season will bring.”

Now that the first ship has arrived, the Port of Green Bay’s ‘First Ship’ contest has concluded, with the winner being Anne LaCour of Pembine, who predicted that the first ship would arrive at 2:13 p.m. on March 12.

Her prediction landed her a one-night stay at the Hotel Northland, a 200th anniversary Brown County-themed Monopoly game, six tickets to the National Railroad Museum and a gift certificate from the Voyageurs Sourdough Bakehouse.

WFRV

Federal Franklin Thunder Bay’s first saltie

THUNDER BAY— The first international “saltie” vessel to reach port in the shipping season was welcomed at Richardson’s Main Terminal for the second Top Hat Ceremony of 2025 on Wednesday.

The MV Federal Franklin and its 22-person crew, including Capt. Rohit Khosla, had the earliest arrival of a saltie in Thunder Bay for the second year running, after it arrived last year on March 28. Its arrival marked the official opening of international shipping in the Port of Thunder Bay for the 2025 shipping season.

“The 10-year average is about April 10th, so we’re well over a week ahead of what you’d anticipate and it marks only the fourth time that a saltie vessel has crossed through the break wall in March,” said Chris Heikkinen, the CEO of the Port of Thunder Bay.

Heikkinen added that it was one of the earliest openings they’ve ever had for international shipping in the Port of Thunder Bay. He explained that opening a little bit early always helps.

“There are finite days in the season and if the vessels can get another load in during that season, then you’re ahead of the game,” said Heikkinen.

The number of salties visiting our port has also increased over the last couple of decades, said Heikkinen.

“We’ve been flirting even with close to 200 in some years, so we’re definitely looking at probably at least 150 saltie calls this year,” said Heikkinen.

The vessel was commissioned in 2021 into the Fednav fleet of Seaway-max bulkers, Canada’s largest oceangoing bulk shipping company, which accounts for 40 per cent of saltie vessel calls to the port.

“I’ve been here in Thunder Bay many times in the past, but yes, I’m one of the fortunate guys who’s been here for the second consecutive year,” said Khosla.

Khosla joined the crew a month back, since travelling to Jamaica with some aluminum cargo, all the way to Baie-Comeau to discharge and from there to Thunder Bay in ballast (without cargo) to pick up thousands of tons canola destined for Veracruz, Mexico.

“The journey was quite impressive, I would say, in a way that it was very different from the last time when I arrived (in) Thunder Bay,” said Khosla.

“Things were a bit cold this time, especially the water levels we were concerned about when we were transiting the Saint Marys River and especially the thickness of the ice, which was quite well accumulated all around this area.”

As a second-time Top Hat Ceremony recipient, Khosla agreed he would like to make it a tradition going forward. He expects to be sailing out again on Thursday but, depending upon the weather, the vessel may stay in the port for 2 to 3 days more.

TB Newswatch

Thunder Bay shipyard owner offered to repair damaged vessel Michipicoten

THUNDER BAY, ON – When the damaged lake carrier Michipicoten headed to a Wisconsin port last summer for repairs, an opportunity for the Thunder Bay shipyard left as well.

The 689-foot self-unloading vessel suffered a 13-foot-long breach to its hull in June 2024 while carrying iron ore pellets southwest of Isle Royale.

After a temporary patch was applied at dockside at Keefer Terminal, owner Lower Lakes Towing of Port Dover, Ont. sent it to Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wisconsin for more repairs.

Ontario Shipyards has now revealed that it offered to fix the vessel at its dry dock in Thunder Bay. “We pursued it. We provided them with a solution. They chose to go somewhere else. That’s their business, but we did try to bring that to Thunder Bay,” said Ted Kirkpatrick, director of business development and government relations for Ontario Shipyards.

In an interview Tuesday, he was asked why the company wasn’t able to land the job. “We felt we were able to be competitive. I can’t speak to business decisions that other groups make. We put forward what we felt was a real solution, and they chose to go in a different direction, and that’s their prerogative as a business owner.”

Lower Lakes Towing has not responded to media inquiries about the Michipicoten since the incident last year. As of Tuesday, the ship was still reported to be at the US shipyard.

The Thunder Bay facility was idled early last year but did receive a contract in December 2024 to repair the bulk carrier Federal Yoshino which was damaged in an incident in the Kam River a month earlier.

The work has just been completed. But Kirkpatrick said the local yard remains available for any other work that might come its way.

“It’s open. There are still Ontario Shipyards employees that work there. Have we had to slim it down and be more opportunistic? Yes, but it is an active facility and always has been.”

He said a skeleton crew remains on the site, but added that the repairs to the Federal Yoshino are a good example of how the facility can be mobilized quickly to undertake complex projects.

“We were able to complete it on time, which I know made the vessel owners very happy. We’re very thankful to Anglo- Eastern (a ship management firm) and Fednav (the owner of the ship) for giving us the opportunity and putting their faith in us. I think it was a great outcome.”

Kirkpatrick said the company will continue efforts to find more work for the Thunder Bay yard in the months to come.

TB Newswatch

The fate of the vintage tug James Whalen is put on hold

THUNDER BAY, ON –  A local company says they never offered to scrap the James Whalen for free. Harbour Metals Recycling did not email anyone at the city or on council offering to take the 119-year-old boat for free, according to James White, a trader with the local company.

Coun. Albert Aiello said during Monday’s committee of the whole meeting that the city had received an email from Harbour Metals suggesting they could take the tug at no cost to the city. City manager John Collin said staff were not aware of the email.

That email was the basis for Aiello’s motion to delay awarding a contract to destroy the tug to one of the two companies that bid on the project and have staff look into the possibility of having the boat scrapped for free.

Council voted nine to three in support of the motion, against staff advice.

Commissioner of Infrastructure and Operations Kayla Dixon told Newswatch there was an email sent to Aiello, but it was not sent from Harbour Metals. It was from a member of the public. “Administration at the time was unaware of the email,” said Dixon.

“After investigating this matter, we’ve determined that there was no actual proposal or a viable option that had been put forward by Harbour Metals.”

There is no possibility of Harbour Metals taking the James Whalen for free, said White.

“Unfortunately, looking at the scope of work, there are a lot more factors involved, such as asbestos abatement and other issues that would prevent Harbour Metals from being able to take this boat for free,” he said.

For several reasons, the company did not bid on the contract, said White, but he said they “would be willing to work with the successful bidder to remove scrap materials after any remediation and salvage efforts were completed.”

Administration will present a follow-up report to City Council at its April 7 meeting, reaffirming the initial recommendation to dispose of the James Whalen.

TB Newswatch