Great Lakes iron ore trade up 61.8 percent in July
Cleveland OH – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.7 million tons in July, an increase of 61.8 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were also 3.2 percent above the month’s 5-year average. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 26.4 million tons, an increase of 27.6 percent compared to the same point in 2020. Iron ore shipments are 5.2 percent above their 5-year average for the first seven months of the year.
Lake Carriers’ Association
MV Asphalt Princess: Suspected hijackers leave ship off UAE
Men who boarded and seized a ship in the Gulf of Oman have left the vessel and all those remaining on board are safe, officials say.
A UK maritime security agency said the potential hijacking of the Panama-flagged MV Asphalt Princess had ended but gave no further details. The bitumen tanker was seized on Tuesday heading into the congested approach to the Strait of Hormuz. Asphalt Princess is the former Great Lakes / Seaway tanker Thalassa Desgagnes.
It is not clear who seized the ship, but analysts suspected Iranian forces. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards dismissed reports of possible involvement as a pretext for “hostile action” against Tehran. The men who boarded the Asphalt Princess were reportedly armed and are said to have ordered it to sail to Iran.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) had initially warned ships of an incident before declaring a “potential hijack” hours later. On Wednesday, the UKMTO tweeted that those who boarded the vessel had left, adding: “Vessel is safe. Incident complete.”
The incident occurred less than a week after an oil tanker operated by an Israeli-owned company was attacked by a drone off Oman, killing two security guards – one British and the other Romanian.
The US, UK and Israel blamed Iran for the attack – a claim it strongly denies. BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner says the MV Asphalt Princess is owned by a Dubai-based company that had one of its ships hijacked two years ago by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
He says that, according to reports, up to nine armed men boarded the vessel as it neared the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s maritime oil supplies passes.
The UKMTO had earlier advised shipping services near Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman to exercise extreme caution. Earlier in the day, four oil tankers reported that they were “not under command”, which usually means that a vessel has lost power and cannot steer. One of the ships later began moving, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Iran’s foreign ministry said reports involving several ships on Tuesday were “suspicious” and warned against any effort to “create a false atmosphere” against Tehran.
BBC News
USS COD in need of tug in order to be available for tours in Erie
Erie, PA – The effort to make the USS COD available for tours in Erie continues with a big hurdle still in the way. According to the group that operates the COD as a national historic landmark, they cannot find the tugboat that they would need.
The World War II submarine has been at Donjon Shipbuilding since June and is undergoing a major overhaul. It was hoped that the COD could stay in Erie for a few days after the work is finished for public tours allowing people to get a look inside.
Last month, the USS COD Memorial was looking for a corporate sponsor and dock space. The tugboat is necessary to get the sub from Donjon to a dock.
Read more at this link: https://www.yourerie.com/news/local-news/uss-cod-in-need-of-tugboat-in-order-to-be-available-for-tours-in-erie/?fbclid=IwAR0lIsa8nt9xTsFsszYyGW5Jfb0ffKVte70LSxWjYPNZAAKAbY0aXHrLNBA
Celebrating 125 Years of the S.S. Meteor in Virtual Visitor Center today
The S.S. Meteor is the only remaining above water whaleback vessel in the world and she is celebrating her 125th anniversary this August! Join Superior Public Museums Director, Megan Meyers as she shares stories of her past, designer and builder Alexander McDougall, and what her future holds. This free program begins at 11:30 CDT at https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/ssmeteor. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association.
