Final Report on 2023 Cuyahoga Fire Released
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its final report on the engine room fire onboard bulk carrier Cuyahoga on May 23, 2023 on Lake Erie, off Kingsville, ON.
Chronology of Events
1914: Departed Marblehead, OH with 11,400 tonnes of stone.
2159: Fourth engineer spotted fire on engine top.
2201–2207: General alarm raised, crew mustered, ventilation shut down. Mayday issued; Coast Guard assets stood by.
2208–2218: Attempts to close skylight and activate CO₂ system failed; local release attempt caused gas leak into cylinder room.
2222–2230: Life rafts deployed in case of abandonment.
2231–2328: Smoke reduced; boundary cooling attempted. Fire effectively extinguished after fuel supply ceased.
24–25 May: Partial crew evacuated; salvage teams confirmed fire out. Vessel towed to Kingsville.
Cause of Fire
Fuel spray ignition: A disconnected fuel injection return line on cylinder 7 sprayed diesel onto exposed hot exhaust surfaces.
Missing clamps: Retaining clamps had been removed in 2021, leaving lines vulnerable to vibration.
Maintenance issues: Fuel leaks were routinely tightened but root causes not addressed.
Insulation gaps: Exhaust surfaces not fully covered, enabling ignition.
Firefighting Challenges
Suppression failures: Remote CO₂ release cables damaged by heat; local activation sequence incorrect. Entire CO₂ supply discharged into cylinder room instead of engine room.
Fire main failure: Isolation valve corroded, blocking emergency fire pump flow.
Limited equipment: Only 2 firefighting suits and SCBAs carried—insufficient for engine room fire response.
Human & Organizational Factors
Fatigue: Common in short-voyage Great Lakes operations, though not deemed causal.
Emergency response: Second engineer asleep at alarm; delayed initial response.
Drills & preparedness: Few realistic engine room fire drills held; muster list unrealistic compared with available equipment.
Maintenance records: Incomplete documentation of leaks and valve replacements.
Safety Findings
Causes & Contributing Factors
Fuel line loosened due to missing clamps and vibration.
Spray ignited on hot exhaust surfaces.
CO₂ system failed to deploy into engine room.
Fire main isolation valve corroded shut.
Risks Identified
Outdated manufacturer documentation and poor record-keeping.
Inaccessible ventilation points delayed compartment sealing.
Lack of training for CO₂ system maintenance.
Minimum firefighting equipment insufficient.
Non-specific emergency procedures limited effectiveness.
Regulatory & Systemic Issues
Age-related exemptions: Older vessel not required to have fuel spray shields, bridge remote stop, or fire main isolation valve outside machinery spaces.
Oversight gaps: Reliance on third-party contractors for safety inspections, with inconsistent technician training.
SMS limits: Lower Lakes Towing (LLT) had a voluntary Safety Management System, but documentation and reporting of near misses (e.g., repeated fuel leaks) were inadequate.
Safety Actions Taken
LLT rerouted CO₂ remote cables outside the engine room.
Operating instructions updated to ensure correct activation sequence.
Read the full report here: https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/2023/m23c0104/m23c0104.html
Tanker Fure Ven Joins Algoma/Furetank Fleet
FureBear, a joint venture formed by Canadian dry bulk shipping company Algoma Central Corporation and Swedish tanker operator Furetank Rederi, has taken delivery of a new product tanker built by China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng Shipyard.
Fure Ven is the 17th vessel to be built for the Gothia Tanker Alliance with Älvtank, Thun Tankers and Furetank/Algoma ordering the vessels. Design work on all vessels in the series was undertaken by Swedish naval architecture firm FKAB Marine Design.
This Bureau Veritas-classed design is an ice class 1A tanker, equipped with batteries and dual-fuel engines for LNG operation.
The newbuild has a hull form that ensures safe navigation even in harsh weather, an LOA of 149.9 metres, a beam of 22.8 metres, a draught of 9.36 metres, a deadweight of 18,000, and a total cargo capacity of 20,306 cubic metres.
A shore power connection will ensure continuous electrical supply while berthed without having to rely on the onboard generators.
After taking on a delivery cargo, the vessel will begin operations in Northern Europe this fall.
Algoma Central Corp.
Marine Historical Society of Detroit
Now Accepting New Members, Renewals
DETROIT, MI – You don’t have to live in the Motor City to join the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. Its focus includes all the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway as well as the ships and sailors keeping the economies of two countries moving.
The 81-year-old non-profit group is now accepting new memberships and membership renewals.
“The MHSD has plenty to offer anyone interested in and concerned with the history of the Great Lakes and its vibrant maritime heritage,” says long-time group President Roger LeLievre. “We have members across the U.S. and Canada and even overseas.”
Membership includes the monthly publication The Detroit Marine Historian, which offers a variety of articles exploring Great Lakes shipping past and present. It also includes an annual, full-color calendar featuring superb, often rare, photos of Great Lakes ships of the past.
Last year the group published the 300-page, hardcover book Ahoy & Farewell III, documenting the vessels built and those that left the lakes during the past 30 years. The book recently won an award for excellence from the Historical Society of Michigan.
In keeping with society’s goal of preserving historical images, the MHSD’s image portal, featuring photos and details of many historic vessels, is now online at www.marinehistorydetroit.historyit.com
The Society has named an annual Historian of the Year since 1969. The award is voted on by past winners and honors those who have contributed significantly to the research, presentation or publication of Great Lakes ships and the shipping history.
Membership is $40 (U.S. and Canada). Join online at www.mhsd.org. To join or renew by mail, please print out the form in the gallery below.
MHSD
Cleveland Boatnerd Gathering Planned Sept. 6
Cleveland’s first annual Boatnerd get together will be at the Whiskey Island Still & Eatery in Cleveland on September 6 at noon. Join us for an informal gathering of food, fellowship and hopefully some boat watching as well. Meet your fellow area boat fans! Food will be ordered off the menu and table service provided by the staff of the restaurant, which is located adjacent to the historic C&P Dock, where the 1,000 footers unload.
Directions and info for the restaurant: https://www.whiskeyislandstillandeatery.net/
Bill Kloss
See “Captain Bob” September 11th
See “Captain Bob” former Captain of the Paul R Tregurtha, in Cheboygan next month for his speaking engagement, GREAT NEWS!! Due to his first show SELLING OUT in record time, they are adding a SECOND SHOW!! Same day but at 5:30pm so if you’re interested, head to the website shown at the bottom of the image (Open it up to see it full size) and grab tickets!! They are only $10 each!! Hurry before this show sells out as well!!
See Photo Gallery below
2025 Luck of the Lakes Raffle Includes Ship Trips
Your raffle ticket purchase supports the Great Lakes Historical Society and its National Museum of the Great Lakes whose mission is to preserve, share, and celebrate the past, present, and future of the Great Lakes story.
Details here:
https://nmgl.org/2025lolraffle/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMDBTFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZUGV4UFMxNFFGYUpPbTZ2AR5OikAHiWMuo30CZrAqM9nuK93_xmmqYBsoAerabXJ3sBlZWNxpz7mZwoLuFw_aem_1pxrUONQfReTGS4dlnAgzg
Know Your Ships EXTRA Magazine 2025 Released
When Patrick Devine found out, in the summer of 1975, that he was being moved over to the Edmund Fitzgerald as a relief deckhand he was on top on the world. He had gone from one of the oldest boats in the fleet to one of the newest and best. He was devastated when union rules forced him off that September. He had lost his dream job. Then came the sinking and its horrific aftermath. He hasn’t talked about his experience until recently, and he gave Know Your Ships an exclusive interview for the 2025 Know Your Ships EXTRA midsummer magazine, now on sale.
The magazine also includes an interview with Great Lakes top cook Sissy Payment. Find out her recipe for success and learn something surprising about her in the story.
EXTRA 2025 remembers the loss 50 years ago of the EDMUND FITZGERALD with four stories.
- EXCLUSIVE! Meet Patrick Devine, who thought he had found his dream job when he signed on to the Fitz as a relief deckhand in June 1975.
- Explore the Fitzgerald’s influence in popular culture: Music, art, literature and – yes – souvenirs.
- Did you know there were two vessels named Fitzgerald on the Great Lakes, and both were lost in November storms? And yes, their namesakes were related.
- Consider what might have been if the Fitz had not gone down.
ALSO
- Check out the Great Lakes Lore Museum at Rogers City, MI, where sailors are in the spotlight.
- Read about the William G. Mather, the ‘Ship That Built Cleveland,’ which turns 100 this year.
- Litton on the Lakes: Find out how a group of California upstarts turned the Great Lakes shipping industry upside down in the 1970s with their fancy ideas about 1,000-footers.
- Catch up with the latest Great Lakes/Seaway news.
- Enjoy even more images from readers in the ongoing series FAN-TASTIC PHOTOS.
This is the third year for the Know Your Ships EXTRA Magazine, which offers even more ship, sailor and industry stories, recent shipping news and many more of the stunning photos – current and historic – for which Know Your Ships has become known for the past 66 years. Please note that the Extra, which is a feature magazine, does not duplicate the vessel and fleet listings found in the regular Know Your Ships book.
Order at www.knowyourships.com
