Sault Coast Guard on Flood Relief

The Sault Coast Guard is assisting in the flooding along the Red River according to this press release from the Coast Guard.

Units from the Ninth Coast Guard District are assisting units from the Eighth District in response to flooding along the Red River, which runs through Minnesota and North Dakota.

Coast Guard crewmembers are working closely with both local and state officials from response centers in the Red River region and have saved 16 lives as of approximately 1:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.

Ninth District assets responding include an Air Station Traverse City, Mich., HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter and crew; and 20-ft.airboats from Coast Guard Stations Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.; St. Clair Shores,Mich.; Sturgeon Bay, Wis. and Marblehead, Ohio.

Great Lakes Shipping Saves Money

A study released recently shows that Great Lakes freighters are the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to transport many goods. The fact below illustrate some of the high points of this information.

Shipping season starts on Wednesday, March 25. It will be interesting to see the impact of the economic downturn on the shipping industry.

Are any of you readers going up to the Soo for the opening of the shipping season? Please let us know and tell us where you think the best ship watching location is.

Here's a numerical breakdown of the Great Lakes navigation system and the so-called "lakers," freighters that never travel outside of the lakes.

1,600 miles: Length of the navigation system, extending from Duluth, Minnesota, to Ogdensburg, New York; the system spans lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Eric and Ontario.

63: Commercial ports on the Great Lakes.

173 million: Tons of cargo carried by lakers in 2006.

44,000: Jobs directly related to Great Lakes maritime transport.

54,000: Mining industry jobs that depend on Great Lakes shipping.

138,000: Steel industry jobs with ties to Great Lakes freighters.

$3.6 billion: Savings realized annually by industries that use Great Lakes freighters instead of trucks or trains to move cargo.

607 miles: Distance a Great Lakes freighter can carry one ton of cargo on one gallon of fuel.

70,000: Tons of cargo that can be carried by a 1,000-foot-long freighter; it would take 3,000 semis to carry that much cargo.

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Shipping Season Opens Soon

I found this article in the Battle Creek Inquirer today.

The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are scheduled to open three weeks from today, signaling the traditional start of the Great Lakes shipping season.

Unfortunately, it appears that there won't be a boatload of traffic. Many freighters don't expect to return to the Great Lakes until later in the spring, as the recession slows demand for shipment of materials.

Dismal as the economic picture appears, there is reason for hope when it comes to Great Lakes shipping.

National interest is being revived in promoting marine highways. Expanded use of the nation's 25,000 miles of navigational waterways could help to alleviate truck traffic on congested roadways while at the same time providing a more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly means of transport.

For example, one cargo container on a barge removes a truck from crowded highways. A 15-barge tow can contain as much material as 1,050 tractor-trailers, according to the Associated Press. A barge uses only one gallon of diesel to move a ton of cargo 576 miles. That same amount of fuel only moves a ton of cargo 413 miles by rail, and 155 miles by truck.

Tugboat companies are showing signs of growth along the Atlantic coast, offering the prospect for similar expansion along the St. Lawrence Seaway and into the Great Lakes.

There are hurdles to clear in making short-sea shipping competitive with other forms of transportation. Not the least of these is the need to update locks to accommodate increased freight traffic, a venture that would cost tens of billions of dollars. Rail and truck shippers also don't face as many hefty fees, such as harbor maintenance taxes.

But with heavy truck traffic becoming a growing concern on our nation's highways, and the push for better fuel efficiency, promoting greater use of our Great Lakes waterways for shipping could help bolster Michigan's economy in the years ahead.

Summer Cruises

I found the following article in the Duluth News Tribune today. It makes me so excited for summer. I hope to see the Clelia II many times and I will keep you updated.

I'm currently in Phoenix Arizona but start back to Michigan tomorrow. Can't believe shipping season starts next month-29 days.






Clelia II yacht will be docking in Duluth about every two weeks between July and September. It’s the first time Duluth will be the starting and ending point for a passenger cruise. Duluth officials are hoping cruise operators will increasingly use the port here as a place to conclude or kick off their trips.

Who Owns the Griffin Shipwreck?

Here's an interesting turn of events in the squabble over who owns the Griffin, the 17th century ship supposedly in northern Lake Michigan.

France Asserts Ownership of Griffin shipwreck

Now France is saying they own the shipwreck and joins the legal battle that has been going on between the State of Michigan and Great Lakes Exploration LLC who claim to have located the Griffin.

The Griffin was built by LaSalle and disappeared on its maiden voyage in 1679 loaded with furs when it departed Wisconsin near Green Bay.


It never ceases to amaze me that the waters of the St. Marys River are the same waters sailed by early explorers and must look somewhat the same.


I read a poem by Jane Johnston Schoolcraft that was written about 200 years ago. The thoughts remain true even today.

Fair land of the lakes! thou are blest to my sight,
With thy beaming bright waters, and landscapes of light;
The breeze and the murmur, the dash and the roar,
That summer and autumn cast over the shore,
They spring to my thoughts, like the lullaby tongue,
That soothed me to slumber when youthful and young.

January Shipping Numbers

I found the following post on a web site called SNAMeMarine News Daily. It is not good news.


Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes in January plunged 80 percent compared to a year ago, totaling only 700,000 net tons. The last iron ore cargo was loaded on January 13. Even though the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, close on January 15, the iron ore trade, from Escanaba, Michigan, usually continues until the end of January, and often into February. Instead, that dock loaded its final cargo on January 9.
The 700,000 tons that did move in January do not even represent a full month’s shipments from any of the largest iron ore ports on the Lakes. The January ore float also only represents enough cargo to keep two and a half of the largest U.S.-Flag lakers busy for a month.
Lake Carriers’ Association represents 16 American corporations that operate 63 U.S.-Flag vessels on the Great Lakes. These vessels carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy: Iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, limestone and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 115 million tons of cargo a year when high water levels offset the lack of adequate dredging of Great Lakes ports and waterways.

Shipping Season Draws to a Close

The shipping season will close at midnight on Jan. 15. I see that it is -15 degrees in the Soo but I am sitting in Phoenix watching the sun come up over the mountains. Today's predicted high temperature in Phoenix is 77 degrees. But I am looking forward to the day in June where I'm sitting watching the sun come up over Sugar Island and reflecting onto the water of the St. Marys River.

Interesting reading in the Evening News. Shipping Season Close

The Time for a New Lock at the Sault

I just read an interesting article from the Chicago Tribune about the push for a new lock at the Sault. Maritime Community to push for new Soo lock.

With all the talk about public work projects being created to help ease the unemployment crisis, it sounds like one more good reason to begin the project now.

Let me know what you think.

saultboatwatcher@gmail.com

Protecting the Great Lakes

My google alert for Great Lakes notified me of some news about protection of the Great Lakes from other states needing water and wanting in from us. The Great Lakes Compact is an agreement between the states that border the Great Lakes. The conservation of the Great Lakes may move up on the agenda of the country with a president who lives on Lake Michigan.

Great Lakes Compact goes into effect Dec. 8

Things to Do

Since I'm away from the river right now, I'm using the web to follow what's new on the St. Marys River and in the shipping industry.

The problems at the Poe Lock are making big news. Having the Poe Lock shut down emphasizes how dependent the shipping industry is on the this one lock that can handle 1,000 ships.
You can read about it at Another Poe Lock Problem Could Maroon 70% of the Great Lakes Fleet.

I also found a lighthouse festival in Alpena on greatlakesshipwatchers.com. You can read about it on Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival in Alpena.

While I am gone, I would appreciate hearing from my readers about what is happening on the river. Thanks

Wind Farm on the St. Marys River?

Wind Farm on Lake Superior at Gros Cap

I am down in Grand Rapids right now and found the St. Marys River mentioned on the front page of the Grand Rapids Press on Thursday, Sept. 25. In a story titled "That's one long extension cord" the Press tells about a Holland-area business man who owns 1,500 acres of property on the banks of the St. Marys River in DeTour and Raber townships.

The property could be home to a $140 million wind farm to generate energy for the Holland Board of Public Works.

The article goes on to say that Holland Mayor Al McGeehan and other city leaders could meet with Chippewa County officials next week to discuss the project while they are up north for a Michigan Municipal League convention.

With the Gros Cap wind farm fresh in our minds, it is important for Chippewa County residents to be aware of what is being proposed. Please let me know what you think about this!

Shipping News

There was a malfunction in the Poe Lock gate yesterday that delayed shipping for a few hours. The Poe Lock is the only lock large enough to handle 1,000 foot boats. This is how it was reported in the Duluth News Tribune.

Commercial shipping between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes was on hold for a few hours today after a malfunction of the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

The 1,200-foot-long lock’s gate malfunctioned at 9 a.m., and crews were called in to investigate with an underwater camera. Three ships were delayed while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked to determine the cause of the malfunction.

Repairs were made by early afternoon, allowing normal vessel traffic to resume.

I found a great site for learning about the shipping industry-that is besides www.boatnerd.com.

News of the business side of shipping and many other interesting posts can be found at www.greatlakesshipwatchers.com.

You can subscribe to sites such as that makes it possible to get updates as they are published and you don't have to check the sites. If you need information on subscribing, let me know.

Ferry Trouble

Yesterday, we saw the the Drummond Islander III pass by here on its way to replace the Sugar Islander which was out of commission. The Drummond Islander III came to relieve those island residents who depend on the ferry for daily transportation. This photo shows the Drummond Island III in service for Sugar Island.

Today we have also seen the David Boyd back searching for the American Spirit anchor lost last fall.

The Edward L. Ryerson passed up bound just a bit ago.

Fog is lifting quickly

The fog is burning off in a manner of minutes. The Canadian Transport is anchored out front and is appearing as if it is in a dream.

The river system is about to open again and the boats can proceed safely to their destination.