In an unpredictable supply-chain, Great Lakes expect stable year of shipping
CLEVELAND, OH – The supply-chain still has kinks, the coastal ports still have congestion and the Russian invasion of Ukraine is drastically changing global markets tied to the Midwest.
But despite the unpredictability, officials expect the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes to see stable growth during the 2022 shipping season, just like it did during a global pandemic. “We remain bullish that that type of incremental growth is going to be repeated this season,” said Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp.
The St. Lawrence Seaway, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean into the Great Lakes, moved 38.19 million metric tons of cargo to ports in Canada and the U.S. in 2021, a 1.6% uptick from 2020′s season that saw start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While tonnage varies each year, the shipping route averaged 38.17 million tons a year from 2015 to 2019, the five years before the pandemic. Middlebrook said the lack of change, while the COVID-19 pandemic was changing just about everything, stood out.
“People have noticed the stability and resiliency of our system over the last two years, compared to the challenges that have confronted the coastal ports,” Middlebrook said. What’s still unclear, he said, is how 2022′s world events will change this year’s shipping season. Ukraine, an exporter of both grain and raw materials used in steelmaking, is still being invaded. And the coastal ports are still struggling with the number of imports.
The St. Lawrence Seaway is already seeing more international vessels than last year, Middlebrook said. The bulk of the cargo shipped through the St. Lawrence Seaway is done in the back-half of the season, Middlebrook said, so answers will be clearer in a few months.
All sorts of items pass through the Great Lakes, but many of the imports are steel-related and project cargo, and many of the exports are grains — like wheat, soybeans and corn. Ukraine, still being invaded by Russia, was a bread-basket for Europe and a large exporter of raw materials used in steel production.
Suppliers will need to look elsewhere, and even if they don’t buy directly from North America, the shift in the global supply could mean more grain leaving from the Great Lakes, Middlebrook said. So far this year Canadian grain exports have been down, but U.S. exports have been up, he said. What’s being shipped now is leftovers from the last harvest in the fall.
Read the full article at this link: https://www.cleveland.com/business/2022/05/in-an-unpredictable-supply-chain-great-lakes-expect-stable-year-of-shipping.html
Cleveland.com
Options for raising the James Whalen tug are still being studied
THUNDER BAY, ON – Nearly three and a half weeks since it sank, the historic tugboat James Whalen remains submerged in the Kam River. So far, there’s no timetable for a salvage operation.
City officials are still looking into how to best remove the boat from the water and transfer it to a location on land.
Cory Halvorsen – manager of parks and open spaces for the City of Thunder Bay – says “The weight of the tug itself is adding to the amount of time required to confirm the options available to us. There were no immediate options where we could deploy somebody and have it dealt with immediately.”
In an interview Tuesday, he explained that the city is “reaching out to as many local contractors in the area that have the type of equipment, barges and things like that, that might be required. There are some different options, so we want to make sure we’re looking at what is available and trying to do it in a timely manner.”
Halvorsen said it may be possible to lift the Whalen using a combination of a crane and airbags, but the precise approach still needs to be determined. Although he stressed that the focus right now is to raise the tug, Halvorsen acknowledged that the city has been in discussions with the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society about relocating it from the Kam River Heritage Park to the Pool 6 site near the Alexander Henry.
He said the boat will have to be inspected and assessed before any decision can be made on a permanent site. “We want to deal with this as quickly as we can, but it has to be done appropriately. We don’t want to mishandle it. We’re working on this daily.”
Halvorsen said the tug has not shifted since it went under, but divers may need to be sent down to check for possible damage to the hull before an attempt is made to recover it. ”That may be the last bit of information to inform the plan going forward,” he said.
TB News Watch
Know Your Ships book signing is Saturday at Port Huron
PORT HURON, MI – On Saturday May 28, the Great Lakes Maritime Center in Port Huron will host its 2022 “Know Your Ships” Book Signing with editor and publisher Roger LeLievre from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Along with the book, Roger will have Great Lakes caps and Stack & Flag charts for sale.
Great Lakes cartoonist / illustrator artist Don Lee, whose freighter cartoons have often appeared on Facebook, will have his easel and will sketch your likeness, with or without freighter (tips appreciated).
Also on hand will be Roger Hulett, author of “A Lot More To Do – Frank Mays Survival of the Tragic Carl D Bradley Sinking.” Ken Niemi, a Great Lakes historian, will have used maritime books, art and some artifacts for sale.
If you can’t make Saturday’s Know Your Ships signing, Roger will also be set up Sunday, May 29, at the Mariner Theater, 430 S. Water St., Marine City, between noon and 3 p.m.
Great Lakes Maritime Center
Join us: History happy hour—sailor songs
It’s 5 o’clock and time to add a little history to your happy hour. This time we’re featuring sailor songs with singer, songwriter and musician Lee Murdock in front of the historic Col. James M. Schoonmaker museum ship. So, grab your friends for happy hour drinks and explore the museum grounds after-hours anytime between 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. to hear songs celebrating the people who live, work, and play on the Great Lakes.
The event is in partnership with North Cape Yacht Club. Tickets are $30 for NMGL members / North Cape Yacht Club members or $35 for non-members and includes light snacks and specialty cocktails created by Toledo Spirits (beer, wine and soft drinks will also be available). Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets to enjoy the sights and sounds.
Weather Note: The event will take place rain or shine, but we will move inside the museum if there is rain.
Click on this link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/history-happy-hour-sailor-songs-tickets-336678714097
National Museum of the Great Lakes
Help wanted: Lake Michigan Carferry
Lake Michigan Carferry is accepting applications for placement in the engine department aboard the historic S.S. Badger. Candidates must possess a Merchant Mariner’s Credential with QMED (Fireman/Oiler/Watertender) endorsement, a current Medical Certificate and a valid TWIC card. QMED will expect to live aboard and stand a 4 hour watch, twice a day, 7 days a week for the remainder of the 2022 sailing season (as soon as possible to Oct 16th, 2022) QMED wage is $28.91p/hr ($43.37 for OT hours). Visit our web site at http://www.ssbadger.com > Join the Crew to fill out an online application or email lbialochowski@interlakems.com for more information.
Time running out for Boatnerd freighter-chasing cruise early bird rate
After going on pandemic hiatus for the last two years, the Annual Boatnerd Soo Freighter Chasing Cruise is back in business!
•When: Friday – June 24, 6–9 pm, rain or shine
•Where: Soo Locks Boat Tours, Dock #2 (next to the Valley Camp)
•Limit: 100 passengers
•Food: Pizza and salad included with paid passage
•General Admission (US funds): Early Bird rate $30.00 each, $35.00 each from June 1-June 17
•Youth Admission (US funds): Early Bird rate $20.00 each, $25.00 each from June 1-June 17. Youth admission applies to those under 18.
This year’s St. Marys River cruise will be aboard a Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours boat on Friday, June 24. Boarding begins at 5:30 pm, and we cast off at 6pm. The cruise is three hours long. We plan to travel through the U.S. Locks, but that may change in order to chase freighters. (NOTE: At this time, we can approach the Canadian Locks, but not transit through them. We can also approach Algoma Steel, but we cannot enter the slip.)
Pizza and salad are included in paid passage. There will be a cash bar on board. You can bring your own food and beverages (no alcohol).
Reservations are a must, as the group is limited to 100 passengers. Reservations (both online and mail-in) must be received no later than Friday, June 17. Buy tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/2p86wujf
If the cruise is not sold out, Angie Williams will take CASH ONLY reservations through the end of the Boatnerd Picnic on Thursday, June 23, at the Procrastinator Price of $40.00 per General Admission ticket, and $30 per youth ticket.
Contact Angie at griffinclawangie@gmail.com or 734-386-0899 if you have questions or wish to reserve without using EventBrite,.
The Boatnerd Picnic will be Thursday, June 23, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Sherman Park, just west of the locks. Bring a dish to pass. Burgers, hot dogs, buns and condiments will be provided by Boatnerd. Free.) Save the date and think early about your travel plans and lodging. The event will be held rain or shine, but lets hope for sunshine!
Events are in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers annual Engineer’s Day (Friday, June 24) open house at the Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
