1886
1886: The Murphy fleet was sold on 18 February 1886. The tugs GLADIATOR, KATE WILLIAMS and BALIZE went to Captain Maytham, the tug WILLIAM A. MOORE to Mr. Grummond, the schooner GERRIT SMITH to Captain John E. Winn, and the tug ANDREW J. SMITH to Mr. Preston Brady.
1910
1910: ANGUS SMITH [BUILT-1871 US-105030 by Smith & Davidson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin] Final enrollment surrendered at Cleveland, OH, February 18, 1910, and endorsed \”abandoned.\”US-248326
1957
1957: ARCHERS HOPE [Built-1945 by Alabama Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co. at Mobile, Alabama. Renamed: JOSEPH S YOUNG-1957 US-248326, H LEE WHITE-1969 US-248326, and SHARON-1974] Converted to bulk carrier and lengthened by Maryland Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Baltimore, MD, 1956-1957. Towed to Manitowoc Ship Building Co., arriving there on February 18, 1957, for completion a self-unloader (572 x 68.16 x 39.16; 12489 gross – 8820 net). Lengthened by American Ship Building Co., South Chicago, IL, in winter of 1965-1966 (656 x 68.16 x 39.16; 14452 gross – 10783 net).This was the last large vessel to enter the Lakes via the Mississippi. She was the first of seven T-2 tanker conversions for Great Lakes service. SHARON was scrapped at Brownsville, Texas in 1986.
1977
1977: IMPERIAL ST. CLAIR participated in an historic special convoy with DOAN TRANSPORT, which carried caustic soda, led by C.C.G.S. GRIFFON arriving at Thunder Bay, Ontario on February 18, 1977. The journey took one week from Sarnia, Ontario through Lake Superior ice as much as six feet thick, and at one point it took four days to travel 60 miles. The trip was initiated to supply residents of the Canadian lakehead with 86,000 barrels of heating oil the reserves of which were becoming depleted due to severe weather that winter.
2-18-1979
1979: GEMINI [Built-1978 US-596154 by Levingston Shipbuilding Co. at Orange, Texas. Renamed: ALGOSAR-2005 C-827130] As GEMINI: Sustained small hull crack in ice in Saginaw Bay, February 18, 1979.
1980
1980: PANAGIS K. arrived at Alexandria, Egypt, on this date and was soon placed under arrest. The ship was idle and in a collision there with NORTH WAVE on January 23, 1981. The hull was abandoned aground, vandalized and, on October 12, 1985, auctioned off for scrap. The ship first traded through the Seaway in 1960 as a) MANCHESTER FAME and returned as b) CAIRNGLEN in 1965, again as c) MANCHESTER FAME in 1967 and as d) ILKON NIKI in 1972.
1981
1981: CANADIANA [Built-1910 US-207479 By Buffalo Dry Dock Co. at Buffalo, New York. CANADIANA broke from her moorings and sank at Collision Bend, Cleveland, OH, on February 18, 1981. Raised by the Northrup Contracting Co., June 21, 1983. Moved to Ashtabula for refitting or repairs, towed by the JIGGS.
1983
1983: RICHELIEU [Built-1966 C-323022 By Davie Shipbuilding LTD. At Lauson, Canada. Renamed: ALGOCAPE-1994 C-323022] As RICHELIEU: An explosion and fire on February 18, 1983 kills 3. Stanley Humar, Gary McDonald, and Steve Elsey, of Thunder Bay, Ontario were working on the bow of the 730-foot vessel. No immediate cause of the explosion and fire was determined, but oxygen acetyline torches apparently were being used. Bound for Aliaga, Turkey, to be scrapped, 2012.
2010
2010: The sailing ship CONCORDIA visited the Great Lakes in 2001 and participated in the Tall Ships Festival at Bay City, MI. It sank in the Atlantic about 300 miles off Rio de Janeiro after being caught in a severe squall. All 64 on board were rescued from life rafts after a harrowing ordeal.
2010
2010: The tug ADANAC (Canada spelled backwards) sank at the Essar Steel dock at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It was refloated the next day.
Data from: Skip Gillham, Jody Aho, Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.
