1873
A. Muir began building a wooden 3-mast schooner (“full sized canaller”) at his shipyard in Port Huron. Fourteen men were employed to work on her, including master builder James Perry. The schooner was to be the exact counterpart of the GROTON, the first vessel built at that yard. The vessel’s dimensions were 138-foot keel, 145 foot overall, 26 foot 2 inches beam and 11 foot 6 inch depth.
1886
The tug KITTIE HAIGHT was sold to Mr. Fisken of Toronto for $3,900.
1917
The ANN ARBOR NO 6 left Ecorse for Frankfort on her maiden voyage.
1958
FORT YORK (Hull#160) was launched at Collingwood, Ontario, by Collingwood Shipyards, Ltd.
1978
The upbound McKEE SONS, LEON FALK JR, WILLIAM P. SNYDER JR, A.H. FERBERT, and CHAMPLAIN became stuck in heavy ice outside Cleveland Harbor. Eventually they were freed with the help of the USCG icebreaker NORTHWIND and the USCG MARIPOSA.
1986
The former Greek freighter PAULINA C., a Seaway trader beginning in 1976, ran aground off the Dutch coast near Rotterdam as c) RIO GRANDE. It was refloated January 23 and became d) NEPTUNIA later in 1986. It arrived at Bombay, India, for scrapping on December 3, 1986.
1990
The tanker MAYA FARBER came through the Seaway in 1981. It was anchored off Port Sudan as e) RAAD AL-BAKRY VIII when there was an explosion in a cargo tank. Fire broke out and the vessel was gutted. The hull later broke in two and the after end sank. The forebody was sold for scrap and arrived at Alang, India, for dismantling on March 28, 1990.
1997
The M/V PAUL R. TREGURTHA locked down through the Poe Lock at 7 a.m. on January 15, thus bringing to a close the 1996 shipping season through the Soo Locks. The TREGURTHA is carrying iron ore to Lorain, Ohio. After delivery of this cargo, the 1,013.5-foot-long self-unloader will proceed to her winter berth in Ashtabula, Ohio. Iron ore will continue to be loaded at Escanaba, Michigan, until the end of the month.
Contributors & Sources
Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Brian Bernard, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit.
Compiled & Maintained by Roger LeLievre
