Thunder Bay divers put a patch on Michipicoten’s cracked hull
THUNDER BAY — A crew from a Thunder Bay dive company has temporarily sealed the crack that caused an emergency aboard the Great Lakes bulk carrier Michipicoten on Saturday. Water leaking through the hull caused a 15-degree list although bilge pumps were able to reverse the flooding, and the vessel was able to make it to Thunder Bay under escort.
The ship’s owner – Lower Lakes Towing – and Canadian and American authorities continue to investigate the cause of the four-metre-long hull fracture but have said there’s been no indication the ship struck something in the water between Two Harbors, Minnesota and Isle Royale.
“This appears to be a result of fatigue/structural failure,” the Transportation Safety Board indicated Monday.
At dockside at Keefer Terminal on the weekend, a team from Big Lake Dive & Marine entered the water for an initial inspection and located the breach in the hull.
Company owner Judson Beals told TBnewswatch the crew then went back down with welding equipment, accompanied by a specialist from southern Ontario, to patch the crack.
“We located the crack that they believed was on the hull of the ship, confirmed the length for them, and the size, and that was on Saturday. Then, on Sunday we were able to stop the leak, the water ingress, by putting on a plate with rubber for a temporary patch until it can get to dry dock and have proper repairs done.”
Beals said all the water in the ship has been pumped out, and it is no longer listing. He described the width of the crack in the hull as about a quarter of an inch, or “very minimal.”
“I can’t speak for the owner, but I believe it is repairable. The problem with our shipyard is they’ve closed down,” he said, referring to the currently-idled Ontario Shipyards facility in Thunder Bay.
So far, there’s no word from Lower Lakes Towing on its plans for the 72-year-old ship.
The U.S. Coast Guard has said a proper inspection will require offloading its cargo of iron ore pellets before it goes into dry dock.
On Facebook, a post attributed to a member of the Michipicoten’s crew described the incident on the lake as a “horrifying journey,” and said they were lucky the weather was on their side on Saturday.
He wrote: “We went through a day of pure terror…not know[ing] if we would see another day was frighten[ing].”
TBnewswatch has reached out to this individual but has not received a response.
Swimmers can complete Edmund Fitzgerald’s journey to commemorate 50th anniversary of shipwreck
By: Kellen Voss Posted at 12:10 PM, Jun 10, 2024
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich (WXYZ) — Next year, open water swimmers will have the chance to participate in a 17-stage, 411-mile relay swim from Lake Superior to Detroit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The swim is scheduled for July 26, 2025, and swimmers will be featured in an upcoming documentary film. The swim will start in Lake Superior from above the wreck and finish at Belle Isle Beach. Registration for the swim opened at 9 a.m. EST this morning, and anyone interested can register at this link.
The 729-foot shop was heading to Detroit in 1975, carrying more than 26,000 long tons of iron ore when the ship went down during a Lake Superior Storm on November 10. All 29 crew members were killed in the shipwreck. The ship currently sits in Canadian waters, 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point.
“The Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim presents epic, once-in-a-lifetime experiences for up to 68 swimmers to be part of history, play a role in a documentary film, and swim where no one has ever swum before and may never swim again,” said organizer Jim Dreyer, who has swam across all five Great Lakes.
Swimmers will be raising money for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS)to help preservethe Whitefish Point light station.
“The Edmund Fitzgerald, has come to represent, in many ways, shipwrecks in general on the Great Lakes, and the Whitefish Point Light is the most important beacon for all vessels entering or leaving Lake Superior,” said Bruce Lynn, GLSHS Executive Director. “Preserving the legacy of the 29 men who lost their lives in this historic maritime tragedy and helping to preserve a lighthouse that safeguards mariners along Lake Superior’s ‘Shipwreck Coast,’ are causes the swimmers can really rally around while they are themselves making history.”
Anyone looking for more information about this swim can find it at this link. https://www.edmundfitzgeraldswim.org/
TBNewswatch
Make Your Plans Now for Soo
Boatnerd Picnic, Freighter-Chasing Cruise
Join us for the Annual Boatnerd Picnic and Freighter-Chasing Cruise on the St. Marys River during the annual Engineers Day weekend at Sault Ste. Marie June 27-38. Find details on both events here: https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/boatnerd-soo-gathering-june-27-28-2024/
