Winter Fleet gathering in Sturgeon Bay
Sturgeon Bay, WI – It’s a busy time at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay. As freighters dock, work gets underway.
On a very cold Sunday morning in the Sturgeon Bay chipping channel, the 680-foot-long John J. Boland creept its way into place. Ice fishermen had front-row seats.
“It’s pretty neat. I’ve done it a couple times. It’s pretty cool to see, if you want to walk out there and look at it. You can feel the pressure change. It’s pretty cool, a little scary I guess if you’re not used to it,” said Forest Jacobs, Sturgeon Bay.
Photographers follow the freighters on line and with their camera too.
“I like to get out and enjoy it because a lot of people miss this, and I love to share them with others. I see them once in a while on Facebook and stuff, so I hope other people can see it too,” said Joe Raynier, Algoma, WI.
“They come into port for what they call the winter layup. So all the crew kind of go home for the next month, two months, three months, and that’s when the busy season kicks in,” said Carly Sarkis, Destination Sturgeon Bay marketing and events director.
Sarkis says employees at the shipyard work 24/7 to make sure the fleet is ready to sail. She says maintenance, repairs and even painting are common. The work has to be completed in about 2-3 months because the Great Lakes shipping season typically resumes the third week of March.
“To have this type of activity here in Sturgeon Bay in January, February, and March. It helps us so much. I think it brings extra tourism. It’s great for economic growth all-around. So it’s interesting to see, and I’m happy it’s gaining more traction,” said Sarkis.
View this news report and photos at this link: https://fox11online.com/news/local/winter-fleet-gathering-in-sturgeon-bay-ships-great-lakes-freighters?fbclid=IwAR2DkdXOfnmiAGMyXfNJrPZpw5evuLJK1sj9RjC0wcbuJ4ttE_hLkrEAUlc
Canadian Coast Guard’s oldest serving vessel to be decomissioned
Ottawa, ON – Canadian Coast Guard‘s oldest serving vessel, the CCGS Hudson, is being decommissioned after 59 years of service, in what the agency calls the “end of an era.” The East Coast ocean science vessel was determined to be “beyond economic repair” after its starboard propulsion motor failed in November.
“Further investment would not allow it to return to reliable service,” read a news release from Canadian Coast Guard and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Back in 2019, the CCGS Hudson needed repairs and maintenance for degradation to the hull, fuel tanks and onboard systems.
At the time, a Quebec shipyard condemned the ship as beyond repair, declining to bid on a lucrative contract on the grounds that it “presents a serious and real threat to the safety of life at sea.” However, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) had said that was inaccurate.
The Hudson had a $4-million refit in Ontario in 2016 and had more work done on it since it returned to its East Coast port in Dartmouth, N.S., in 2017.
Read more and view images here: https://globalnews.ca/news/8523835/coast-guard-decommissioning-ccgs-hudson/?fbclid=IwAR1CCVKXJVGMcxI3FhhVU56HPNDZc53UGpKb14VjwVt9zreVxagtvmvHUTQ
Grand Haven shipping season ends with visits from Sykes, Jackson
Grand Haven, MI – Commercial shipping concluded for the season in Grand Haven this past week. The steamship Wilfred Sykes closed the Meekhof’s D&M dock after making back-to-back visits on Saturday & Sunday. The M/V Herbert C. Jackson delivered the final load of the season to the Verplank dock in Ferrysburg on Thursday with the tug Meredith Ashton providing icebreaking assistance.
Our 2021/22 shipping season started on March 30th, 2021 and a total of 118 commercial deliveries were made to our three active docks in Grand Haven/Ferrysburg. This marks four straight seasons with growth in our numbers, after 109 in 2020, 95 in 2019, & 92 in 2018. This number is simply a count of the commercial vessels that visited our harbor and is not representative of the tonnages received by each dock.
The vessels we saw visit Grand Haven this season included the American-flagged vessels Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41, Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger, Bradshaw McKee/St. Marys Conquest, and Caroline McKee/Commander, Kaye E. Barker, Wilfred Sykes, Manitowoc, Herbert C. Jackson, Sam Laud, Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder, Great Republic, Calumet, H. Lee White, & Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson. The historic steamship Arthur M. Anderson also visited for the first time.
We also saw visits from the Canadian-flagged vessels Cuyahoga, Manitoulin, Michipicoten, and Saginaw. The Sykes and PM41 tied for the title of most frequent visitor with 17. Next was the Manitowoc with 12.
Grand Haven Tribune / Samuel Hankinson
Obituary: Captain Nathan Lyall Smith
Captain Nathan Lyall Smith passed peacefully on Wednesday January 19th in his 93rd. year.
He was born in Petrolia and moved with his family to Sarnia as a young boy and remained in the Sarnia area until the present time. He first went to sea at the age of 15 on the ship Hamonic. He left to return to school but after 2 years he went back to sea and has been a sailor ever since. He loved sailing and never looked back. He came aboard the Imperial Sarnia in 1969 and acquired his mariners (captain’s) papers in 1974. He loved his ship and his life on the Great Lakes.
Nate lived life to the fullest. He and Velma enjoyed their trips to Mexico, Jamaica, Florida and British Columbia. He had a great sense of humor and loved to share his stories of being on the ships for 42 years. After retirement, he enjoyed many years on his yacht Masters Plan. He also loved his collection of antique cars and living alongside Lake Huron in his lakefront home in Brights Grove.
He will be greatly missed by his loving wife Velma Smith and family. He is predeceased by his parents Dorothy and Lyall Smith, his 3 brothers, 2 sisters and his daughter Dorothy Smith. Nate is survived and will be missed by his son James Smith and his stepchildren Colleen Arbeau (Don), Harold Parker (Kathy), Sharon Rollins (Doug), grandchildren Jesse, Alex, Evan, many nieces and nephews and his sister-in-law Olive Campbell.
Lay-up reports needed
Now that the end of the shipping season has arrived, please send reports of vessel lay-ups to news@boatnerd.net. This will help us compile our annual lay-up list. Include vessel name, date, port and name of lay-up dock. Click here to view the Lay-Up List: https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-layup-2021-2022/
