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Water levels in Great Lakes drop throughout
winter. When will seasonal rise occur?
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicts that water levels for the Great Lakes will continue a seasonal drop until April. Once spring-like weather begins, most of the Great Lakes are predicted to see a rise in water levels.
All of the Great Lakes this winter are below the 2023-2024 levels.
See Great Lakes data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers here: https://www.goerie.com/story/news/local/2025/02/28/great-lakes-water-levels-drop-february-erie-superior-michigan-huron-ontario/80235662007/
Repairs start on historic steamship SS Badger for 2025 cruise season
MASON COUNTY, Mich. – Repairs are underway on the SS Badger. Maintenance happens every winter to prepare for the upcoming season.
The last coal-fired passenger steamship in the United States is still up and running and happens to be right here in Michigan. The SS Badger is a national historic landmark that has learned to adapt to the changing world since she first entered service in 1953.
“Originally, it was built as a car ferry that carried rail cars across Lake Michigan,” SS Badger Public Relations Thom Hawley said. “But today, it carries only passengers and their automobiles. We also carry a lot of truck truck traffic, and a number of busses come aboard every year as well.”
During the winter, crew members spend hours making repairs ahead of the upcoming season.
“Every year is its own set of challenges. Some things we do every year, like the maintenance and the engines. But things like the motorcycle parking areas, that’s an upgrade that’s scheduled for this year,” SS Badger Chief Engineer Andy VerVelde said. “Next year will be another set of improvements and maintenance, and it’s good, you know. It’s necessary to keep up on things, and we want to make sure that she’s reliable day in and day out.”
This year, the Badger is sailing over to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for a propeller shaft repair. “It’s kind of a unique opportunity. The crew is excited. It’s a big investment, but it’s neat to see the boat taken out of the water,” VerVelde said. “Usually, it only happens about every six years.”
Although repairs still preserve her historic character, the work isn’t always smooth sailing.
“We still use vintage engine order telegraphs to communicate engine commands from the pilot house down to the engine room. The engine controls and machinery are the same as it was when it was built. Occasionally, we do have to bring in modern technology,” VerVelde said.
In addition to the accommodation of passengers and vehicles, the Badger also houses the ship’s crew.
“Most people don’t think about that, but the people who staff the boat, this is their home. So, we’re also doing changes and upgrades,” VerVelde said. “Our engineering crew is getting air conditioning. That’s a big improvement for those guys.”
Even after countless hours of work, crew members know the importance of keeping her afloat.
“We’re the last major ferry of size on Lake Michigan, and we’re one of the last steamships,” VerVelde said. “And so keeping that tradition alive, keeping steam engineering in the marine world going, being able to share that with people, I think that’s something I take a lot of pride in, and my crew as well.”
The maintenance for the SS Badger is expected to wrap up just before the first sail on May 16.
WPBN/WGTU
Trump Administration Proposes Massive
Port Fees on Chinese-Built Vessels
Editor’s note: These measures could impact trade on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, since many vessels – including some owned by Canadian operators – that call on U.S. ports are built in China.
Reported by gCaptain
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has announced sweeping new measures targeting China’s growing dominance in global maritime sectors, including potential fees of up to $1.5 million per port call for Chinese-built vessels, $1 million per port call for operators of Chinese-built ships, and mandatory U.S.-flag shipping requirements.
The proposed actions, published to the Federal Register on Friday by Acting U.S. Trade Representative Juan Millan, come after a recent USTR Section 301 investigation found that “China’s acts, policies, and practices to be unreasonable and to burden or restrict US commerce.”
The investigation was initiated following a petition filed in March 2024 by five major U.S. labor unions, including the United Steel Workers and the Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO.
The USTR’s findings reveal China’s dramatic rise in global ship production—from less than 5% in 1999 to over 50% in 2023. China also dominates the maritime supply chain, controlling 95% of global shipping container production and 86% of the world’s intermodal chassis supply. Additionally, China’s ownership of the global commercial fleet has reached over 19% as of January 2024.
“China frames its targeting for dominance in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors in nationalistic terms as a zero-sum contest pitting companies it controls against all others,” states the USTR report, which also highlights how China’s state-backed entities benefit from extensive subsidies, preferential financing, and regulatory advantages that distort global competition.
In response, the USTR has now proposed a series of aggressive measures that could significantly reshape the maritime trade landscape.
The proposed measures not only include a flat fee of $1,500,000 per port call of a Chinese-built vessel to a U.S. port, but also tiered fees per U.S. port call for operators with exposure to Chinese-built ships and newbuild orders at Chinese yards. For example, operators with fleets comprising more than 50% Chinese-built vessels could face fees up to $1 million per U.S. port call, while those with 25-50% Chinese-built vessels would pay up to $750,000 per call. Vessel operators with shipbuilding orders in China could also face fees up to $1 million per port call, based on orderbook composition.
The proposal would also mandate increasing percentages of U.S. exports to be carried on American-flag vessels. Starting at 1% of cargo immediately upon implementation, the requirements would rise to 15% within seven years, with specific allocations for U.S.-built vessels.
The action also targets China’s LOGINK logistics platform, citing concerns about sensitive data access. The proposal suggests potential restrictions or bans on LOGINK’s use in U.S. ports.
In the initial petition, the five labor unions called for fees on Chinese-built vessels docking at US ports, with costs varying based on vessel tonnage and age, with higher fees on newer and larger ships. A proposed “US Commercial Shipbuilding Revitalization Fund” would collect these fees to support the Construction Differential Subsidy program, which historically supported domestic shipbuilding before its 1982 defunding.
The U.S. government’s proposed trade actions mark one of the most significant attempts to curb China’s growing dominance in global shipping and shipbuilding. However, the proposed measures also carry risks, including potential supply chain disruptions and retaliatory actions from Beijing.
Industry stakeholders can provide feedback on the proposed measures at a public hearing scheduled for March 24, 2025, at the International Trade Commission. Written comments must be submitted by the same date.
Summary of Proposed Actions:
Fees on Services:
Service Fee on Chinese Maritime Transport Operators:
Up to $1,000,000 per entrance of any vessel operated by a Chinese company to a U.S. port.
Alternatively, up to $1,000 per net ton of the vessel’s capacity.
Service Fee on Maritime Transport Operators with Fleets Comprised of Chinese-Built Vessels:
Flat Fee: Up to $1,500,000 per entrance of a Chinese-built vessel to a U.S. port.
Tiered Fees Based on Fleet Composition:
50%+ Chinese-built fleet: Up to $1,000,000 per entrance.
25–50% Chinese-built fleet: Up to $750,000 per entrance.
0–25% Chinese-built fleet: Up to $500,000 per entrance.
Additional Fee: Up to $1,000,000 per entrance if the operator’s fleet consists of at least 25% Chinese-built vessels.
Service Fee on Maritime Transport Operators with Prospective Orders for Chinese Vessels:
Tiered Fees Based on Orders from Chinese Shipyards:
50%+ of vessels ordered: Up to $1,000,000 per entrance.
25–50% of vessels ordered: Up to $750,000 per entrance.
0–25% of vessels ordered: Up to $500,000 per entrance.
Additional Fee: Up to $1,000,000 per entrance if 25% or more of total vessels ordered are from Chinese shipyards.
Service Fee Remission for Maritime Transport via U.S.-built Vessels:
Operators subject to fees can receive a refund of up to $1,000,000 per U.S. port entrance for using U.S.-built vessels.
Restrictions on Services to Promote U.S.-Built and U.S.-Flagged Vessels:
Mandatory Use of U.S.-Flagged Vessels for U.S. Exports (Phased Implementation):
Year 1: At least 1% of U.S. exports must be transported on U.S.-flagged vessels.
Year 2: At least 3% of U.S. exports must be transported on U.S.-flagged vessels.
Year 3: At least 5% of U.S. exports must be transported on U.S.-flagged vessels, with 3% on U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged vessels.
Year 7: At least 15% of U.S. exports must be transported on U.S.-flagged vessels, with 5% on U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged vessels.
U.S. Goods Transport Restriction:
U.S. goods must be transported on U.S.-flagged, U.S.-built vessels.
Operators may use non-U.S.-built vessels only if they commit to transporting at least 20% of their U.S. exports on U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged ships.
Expensive to enter, easier to win: The St. Clair Rotary Club’s freighter trip contest
There’s nothing cheap about entering the St. Clair Rotary Club’s annual contest to win a trip for six aboard a Great Lakes freighter. One raffle ticket runs $600. But only 200 tickets will be sold.
“The St. Clair Rotary Club is currently rolling out its favorite longtime fund raiser,” announced Ralph Livingston III, president-elect of the club, on Feb. 6. “The raffle to win a trip for six adults on a Great Lakes freighter vessel is back. This has been a steady fund raiser for our club going back over 20 years. However, we could be nearing the end of this campaign, since the local power plants may not be coal-fired in the future.”
The trip is aboard one of nine self-unloading freighters owned by the Interlake Steamship Company, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio.
The winner and five companions will enjoy three staterooms, each designed for two people, on the multi-day journey. The winning passengers will feast on hearty freighter fare in the captain’s galley.
Four of the freighters in the Interlake fleet are 1,000 feet or longer, including the Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest freighter on the lakes at 1,013.5 feet – the Lakes’ so-called Queen; the Tregurtha has a cargo capacity of 68,000 gross tons and is powered by a 1,710-horsepower engine.
“We are taking this opportunity to generate capital for our newly established St Clair Rotary Club Endowment Fund,” said Livingston. The Community Foundation of St. Clair County will manage the fund. “The fund will help ensure the St Clair Rotary can continue to provide service projects well into the future,” he said.
The Interlake Steamship Company has been moving raw materials on the Lakes to fuel the Midwest’s industries for more than a century. It is the largest privately-owned U.S.-flagged fleet on the Lakes.
“This raffle is a great opportunity for anyone interested in a trip of a lifetime,” said Livingston. “These trips cannot be purchased and they are highly sought after by enthusiasts of the Great Lakes cargo vessels.”
Ticket purchases may be made online. “The Freighter Raffle is now live and ready for ticket sales,” said Livingston. “The link to the web page is very informative and provides direct access to the ticket sales: https://greatlakesfreighterraffle.com/. Your ticket will be generated from the site.”
The winner will be selected during the Rotary’s Gala at the Boardwalk Theatre in St. Clair on April 26, 2025, at 7:00 pm.
“You do not need to be present to win,” Livingston said. “You will receive an email confirmation with a unique ticket number for the drawing. The winner receives six passes (three staterooms) for a Great Lakes Freighter Trip on an Interlake Freighter between Memorial and Labor Day, 2025.
Help Wanted: Interlake Logistics
Solutions Seeks Chief Engineer
The Interlake Logistics Solutions team has an immediate need for an experienced Chief Engineer Limited. More details about the position, pay and schedule can be found via the link below. You can apply directly through ADP and if you have additional questions and genuine interest, you can reach directly to General Manager Chuck Leonard at 231-590-8695 or cleonard@interlakems.com
