Great lake boats, a good video

[MossRoad]

Good for them!

 

[ArlyA]

A film about the 1st self unloader rigged in 1902. I did not know they went that far back.

 

[ArlyA]

The baby Mac arrived in Duluth MN this morning.

 

[ArlyA]

Looks like the 2nd 1000ft lock will get done by 2030 You can "sorta" see its construction in the Soo locks cam

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$1.5B Soo Locks project set to be done in 2030, officials say​

Leonard N. Fleming
The Detroit News

Toledo — The decades-overdue overhaul of the Soo Locks is moving swiftly as the nearly $1.5 billion infrastructure project is on schedule to be completed by 2030 and will bolster commerce in Michigan and the Midwest, maritime industry leaders said Thursday.
A news conference held at the National Museum of the Great Lakes here showcased the project, which will construct a 1,200-foot-long lock to handle thousand-foot vessels as they pass through the Sault Ste. Marie area in the Upper Peninsula.
The Soo Locks, operated and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, allows cargo ships to traverse waterways between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes to deliver cargo like steel and ore to the region from Ohio to Michigan and elsewhere.

Improving the locks is "an efficiency issue, a resiliency issue" and is long overdue, said James Weakley, the president of the Lake Carriers Association based in Ohio. Built in 1855, the locks haven't received a major upgrade in more than 50 years.
"It's about ensuring the reliability of our supply chain, and it's ensuring the capability of American manufacturing which includes steel manufacturing and all the industries it supports," Weakley said.
The event featured the commander of the Detroit District Army Corps office, two port authority leaders from Toledo and Monroe as well as the head of a steamship company that used the locks.
Scott Katalenich, the commander of the Detroit Army Corp of Engineers office, said the bolstered locks project is critical to the likes of the automobile industry that allows important materials to be transported down through the Great Lakes.
"That is so important to our economy so that we can make high-strength steel," Katalenich said. "It just goes to underscore the importance of another lock that is the same size and can accommodate those largest freighters on the lakes. As infrastructure ages, we have more repairs to do and more frequently."
The Soo Locks project is being done in three major phases, the first being upstream channel deepening to 32 feet to allow bigger ships to pass through the locks, he said. When completed, more than 250,000 cubic yards of bedrock and overburdened materials will have been removed, he said.
The new lock will be 1,200 feet long and 110 feet wide, he said, and the project will support 1,200 jobs annually.
Other phases include the construction of upstream approach walls that would rehabilitate the channel walls. The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2030.
"But we are optimistic that with good weather, we may be able to beat that," Katalenich said said.
It is estimated the Soo Locks sees an estimated 70 million tons of cargo pass through each year with the support to 120,000 jobs and $22.6 billion in economic activity.
The building of a new lock was authorized in 1986 but funding was slow. In 2009, $17 million was appropriated to begin the initial work. The project was reauthorized in 2018 and has received over $411 million, including $52 million from the former Gov. Rick Snyder administration.
lfleming@detroitnews.com
Twitterleonardnfleming

 

[ArlyA]

The 3rd arrival to Duluth this season, arriving 8/22/2021 10:01:00 AM They spent 33.1 hours at the dock. They departed 8/24/2021 1:01:00 AM after spending a total of 39 hours in Port From https://greatlakesships.wordpress.com: Year Built: 1972 Builder: Halter Marine Services, Inc., New Orleans, LA Launch Date: December 12, 1972 PAIRED BARGES: Presque Isle The Presque Isle was constructed as a self-unloading integrated tug/barge unit for Litton Great Lakes Corporation. The tug/barge unit was intended to operate as part of Litton’s Wilson Transit Company, but Litton sold Wilson before the barge was completed. The tugboat was constructed by Halter Marine of New Orleans, Louisiana. The tug/barge Presque Isle was designed as an integrated tug/barge unit, with the tug fitting into a specially-designed notch where it would rigidly lock in, and the pair would sail as one vessel. It was designed with intentions to take advantage of the U.S. Coast Guard’s tug/barge manning requirements, but since the tug was not deemed seaworthy on its own, it had to operate with an full-size crew. The pair was built at a cost of about $35 Million under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970. Together, the tug/barge Presque Isle became the Great Lakes’ second 1,000-Footer. Vessel Type: Integrated Tugboat Propellers: 2 Controllable Pitch Propellers Rudders: 2 Engine Type: Diesel Engine Engine Manufacturer: Mirrlees Blackstone, Stamford, England Engine Model: KVMR-16 Number of Engines: 2 Rated HP: 14,840 BHP Owner: USX Great Lakes Fleet, Duluth, MN Home Port: Duluth, MN The tugboat was constructed by Halter Marine of New Orleans, Louisiana, being launched on December 12, 1972. She departed New Orleans after completion on October 29, 1973, bound for the shipyard in Erie. The barge was constructed by two different shipyards on the Great Lakes. The bow portion of Presque Isle was built by DeFoe Shipbuilding in Bay City, Michigan, being towed to Erie, Pennsylvania by the tugs Laurence C. Turner and Maryland in October 1972. The cargo section and notch were being built by Litton Industries’ Erie Marine Shipyard where the 1,000-Footer Stewart J. Cort was built the year before. The bow section was welded to the cargo section in early 1973. The tug/barge Presque Isle was designed as an integrated tug/barge unit, with the tug fitting into a specially-designed notch where it would rigidly lock in, and the pair would sail as one vessel. It was designed with intentions to take advantage of the U.S. Coast Guard’s tug/barge manning requirements, but since the tug was not deemed seaworthy on its own, it had to operate with an full-size crew. The pair was built at a cost of about $35 Million under Title XI of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970. The pair entered service on December 16, 1973, hauling one load of ore before laying up at Erie, Pennsylvania, for the winter. In 1975, the United States Steel Corporation, experiencing shipyard delays, signed a 25-year lease on the Presque Isle with Litton Great Lakes Corporation. U. S. Steel wanted to build a few 1,000-Footers, but backlogs at shipyards forced them to wait. The agreement proved to be a win-win, as U.S. Steel needed a 1,000-Footer, and Litton wanted to find a home for theirs. The Presque Isle fit in well with the U.S. Steel trade routes, carrying ore from their upper lakes docks to their mill in Gary. If demand was low, the Presque Isle had large enough cubic capacities to be efficient in the coal and stone trades as well. Upon entering service for U.S. Steel, she went right to work as part of their winter navigation fleet during the late 1970’s. The Presque Isle became the first vessel to utilize the unloading hopper at the DM&IR ore dock at Duluth on July 25, 1995. The hopper was installed to receive shipments of limestone for use in making taconite pellets. USX Great Lakes Fleet, Presque Isle‘s operator, acquired 100% of Litton Great Lakes Corporation stock on November 1, 1997. Full ownership of the tug/barge pair was taken over by USX Great Lakes Fleet in 1998. Blackstone Capital Partners, majority stockholders of USX Great Lakes Fleet, sold the fleet in 2004, being renamed Great Lakes Fleet, Inc. after ownership was transferred to the Canadian National Railway. The fleet’s ships remained under U.S. ownership. The Presque Isle finally received her black and grey diagonal stripes on her bow in the early 2010’s. Compiled By Brendan Falkowski

 

[ArlyA]

Does the ranger have twin props? Or twin wheels for the mariner types. Handling boats and manuvering in close quarters can be tricky sometimes fighting current and wind, buts so much easier with twins . You always have to be thinking ahead and run the boat slow enough to maintain steerage in my limited experience.

I can't recall if the Ranger has twin screws or not but seems that all the big boy do. Most 1000 footers have twin 16ft variable pitch type screw plus bow and stern thursters. Having good maneuvering control is a good thing...

 

[ArlyA]

Tragic historical day on the lakes.
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Wednesday marks 46 years since the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald​

On Nov. 10, 1975, the the mighty Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew fell to the gales of Lake Superior.​

FILE. The Edmund Fitzgerald on the St. Mary's River in May 1975.(KVLY)
By TV6 News Team
Published: Nov. 9, 2021 at 4:54 PM EST
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - On Wednesday, we remember the 1975 sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
On Nov. 10, 1975, the the mighty Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew fell to the gales of Lake Superior.
Many in Upper Michigan think of Gordon Lightfoot’s song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” on this day.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Negaunee, there was satellite imagery in the 1970s, but radar systems were basic. They say the weather forecast given on November 9, 1975, did not predict any storm system the Fitzgerald could not withstand.
The National Weather Service determined that the likely cause of storm force winds and waves over 25 feet doomed the titanic vessel and all 29 men on board some 15 miles away from Whitefish Point.

 

[jjeff]

Can't go without listening to the song today.

 

[MossRoad]

RIP

 

[ArlyA]

It was windy here today and boats went to safe anchorages or hugged some shore.

Boats positions can be seen here. This is live so you'll see there current postion on our little lake.