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Lake Ontario News

11 Jul 2023

Welland Canal Ship Traffic Resumes

© eranda / Adobe Stock

Two-way marine traffic resumed Monday night on the Welland Canal in Ontario, Canada after a power outage on Sunday led to a temporary suspension of navigation.The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), which manages and operates the Canadian assets of the St. Lawrence Seaway, said its maintenance personnel and contractors were able to restore service to Lock 1 by Monday afternoon and reopen Lock 7 by 10:30 p.m. that night.No one was harmed at any point during the outage or repair operations


10 Jul 2023

Ship Traffic Halted After Power Outage Hits Welland Canal

© skyf / Adobe Stock

Vessel traffic through Ontario's Welland Canal has ceased after a power outage damaged equipment in two of its locks, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) said.The not-for-profit corporation, which manages and operates the Canadian assets of the St. Lawrence Seaway, said the outage occurred at 5:50 p.m. on Sunday, damaging hands-free mooring equipment in Locks 1 and 7. "SLSMC took immediate steps to ensure the safety of the public, personnel, vessels, infrastructure and the environment


29 Dec 2022

Operation Coal Shovel: US Coast Guard Kicks Off Great Lakes Icebreking

USCG Cutter Neah Bay assisted the M/V James R. Barker (carrying 54,000 tons of taconite) stuck in Detroit East Outer Channel on Wednesday. The Barker and three vessels in the convoy were moving again carrying a total of 99,000 tons of taconite and over 19,000 tons of sand. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday commenced Operation Coal Shovel, a domestic icebreaking operation to maintain commercial vessel traffic from southern Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair, to the St. Clair / Detroit River system, and into Lake Erie and Lake Ontario including the St. Lawrence Seaway.U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers work together in these waterways as conditions worsen throughout the winter to ensure the ability to conduct search-and-rescue, exigent community service, and the facilitation of navigation to meet the reasonable demands of commerce.Both the U.S.

26 Sep 2022

Navigating Climate Change: How Shipping is Adapting in the St. Lawrence

© Delphotostock / Adobe Stock

When compared to other major river navigation routes around the world, the St. Lawrence River is a favored waterway.It flows from the mouth of Lake Ontario, at an altitude of 250 meters. From its source to the Gulf, the river travels 1,197 kilometers, and is fed by several tributaries including the Ottawa, Richelieu, Saint-François and Saguenay rivers.But the effects of climate change are being felt. The marine industry is adapting. It is currently embarking on a shift towards


18 Apr 2022

Rochester Harbor Pier Repair Contract Awarded

The Rochester Harbor East Pier viewed from above in Rochester, N.Y., November 4, 2021. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District will complete repairs to the pier in 2022. (U.S. Army Photo by USACE Buffalo District)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Buffalo District awarded a $3.85 million contract to Illinois-based Great Lakes Dock and Materials, L.L.C. on March 31 for repairs to the Rochester Harbor East Pier in Rochester, N.Y.Repairs will ensure the pier, along with its adjacent federal navigation channel, continue to provide safe passage and refuge for commercial and recreational vessels between the Genesee River, Lake Ontario and the rest of the Great Lakes.“The Port of Rochester


23 Mar 2022

St. Lawrence Seaway Kicks Off 2022 Navigation Season

© Joe / Adobe Stock

The St. Lawrence Seaway kicked off its 2022 navigation season on Tuesday, with international freighters able to arrive at the Montreal – Lake Ontario section of the binational St. Lawrence Seaway.“We’re thrilled to start the 2022 navigation season,” said Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “This year we’re confident that the St. Lawrence Seaway will continue to be a major driver of economic development while offering


13 Sep 2021

All-electric Ferries Depart Damen Shipyards Galati for Ontario, Canada

(Photo: Damen)

A pair of fully-electric road ferries are now on their way from Damen Shipyards Galati to Lake Ontario, Canada, to begin operations. Ordered by the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario, Canada, the Amherst Islander II and Wolfe Islander IV, 68 and 98 meters in length respectively, departed the yard on August 26 to be loaded on the semi-submersible transport vessel Super Servant 4 and will arrive in Lake Ontario in mid-September.Both of the open-deck vessels are equipped to be fully-electric


26 May 2021

Moose Boats Delivers Fireboat to Rochester, NY

(Photo: Moose Boats)

California-based boatbuilder Moose Boats has delivered a new fireboat to the Rochester, N.Y. Fire Department. The M2-38, dubbed Marine 1, is the first Moose in the Great Lakes. With a roof monitor, a cockpit monitor, a 5” large diameter hose Storz discharge, and the ability to pump over 1,500 gallons per minute, this boat will offer greatly increased capabilities to the city and its surrounding communities, the builder said.Rochester Fire Department's new boat has an extended walk-around cabin configured with three shock-mitigating crew seats


16 Apr 2021

Algoma Fined for US Dumping Violations

Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation was fined $500,000 in the U.S. after pleading guilty to dumping wastewater into Lake Ontario.One of the Great Lakes operator's dry bulk carriers, the Algoma Strongfield, was built in China and delivered to Canada on May 30, 2017, by a crew from Redwise Maritime Services, B.V., a vessel transport company based in the Netherlands.During the delivery voyage, while manned by a Redwise crew, the oily water separator and oil content monitor malfunctioned or failed on multiple occasions, which resulted in an accumulation of unprocessed oily bilge water. On May 5, 2017, an Algoma employee


05 Jan 2021

RIBs: Turn Up the Power

MetalCraft Marine recently delivered to Department of Natural Resources Police (Photo: Metal Craft Marine)

However readers might define “normal”, 2020 was anything but. But the business of rigid inflatable boats (RIB) has been going at full throttle.Matthew Velluto, Director of Business Development and Marketing at RIBCRAFT USA, based in Marblehead, Mass., described a business moving steadily ahead, though it’s had to weave and bob at times during 2020. “We’ve been able to stay open throughout 2020, with no disruptions on our side,” though he acknowledged hiccups further down in the company’s supply chain. He explains that the business was deemed to be “essential”.

08 Apr 2021

Marine News' Top Boats of 2020

General MacArthur (Photo: Callan Marine)

This year, despite innumerable challenges and setbacks, a great number of new U.S.-flagged vessels made their way into service. In addition to Maid of the Mist's new electric tour boats James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla featured Wednesday, the newbuilds highlighted below are some of the most noteworthy to come out of U.S. shipyards in 2020.DredgerU.S. dredging contractors have been adding tonnage in a big way. This Spring, Callan Marine added a significant piece to the U.S. fleet with its new Jones Act cutterhead suction dredge (CSD) General MacArthur.

20 Aug 2020

Gladding-Hearn Delivers St. Lawrence Seaway Pilot Boat

(Photo: Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation)

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation delivered a Chesapeake class pilot boat to the Seaway Pilots Inc. in Cape Vincent, N.Y. The Seaway pilots navigate ships in and out of the ports and harbors of the St. Lawrence Seaway between St. Regis, N.Y. and Port Weller on Lake Ontario.With a length overall of 53.6’, a beam of 17.8’ and a draft of 4.8’, the all-aluminum pilot boat features the Ray Hunt Designs deep-V hull. It is powered by twin keel-cooled Volvo Penta D16, EPA Tier 3-compliant diesel engines, each delivering 641Bhp at 1,800 rpm and a top speed of 23 knots.

23 Jul 2020

Gulf Island Shipyards Delivers Icebreaking Tug to SLSDC

Seaway Guardian (Photo: Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation)

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) announced it has taken delivery of its new 118-foot icebreaking tug, the Seaway Guardian, in Massena, N.Y. Built by Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, La., the vessel is the first new tug to join SLSDC since the Seaway opened 61 years ago.The new $24 million tug will primarily be used for buoy maintenance and ice management on the St. Lawrence Seaway, replacing the long-serving 62-year-old Robinson Bay, which the SLSDC will maintain as backup.

13 Jul 2020

Video: Ships Collide Head on in the Welland Canal

(Photo: Welland Firefighters L481)

Canadian officials are investigating a collision between two general cargo vessels in the Welland Canal in southern Ontario.The 138-meter Alanis and the 136-meter Florence Spirit collided Saturday while traveling opposite directions in the ship canal connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The ships are flagged in Antigua Barbuda and Canada repetitively.No injuries or environmental impact have been reported, though videos and photos of the incident shared on social media show both vessels suffered damage as a result the collision.At the time of the incident


13 Apr 2020

Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor Kicks Off 2020 International Season

(Photo: Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor)

The first ocean-going vessel of 2020 arrived Monday at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, thereby commencing this year's international shipping season at the Great Lakes port.Port officials welcomed the M/V Muntgracht, a 466-foot general cargo carrier, after her five-day voyage through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the deepwater port on Lake Michigan. Due to the current global pandemic precautions, the ceremonial Steel Stein, a long-running tradition at the port, was canceled this


25 Mar 2020

St. Lawrence Seaway/Great Lakes Shipping Season Commences

© Daniel / Adobe Stock

The St. Lawrence Seaway’s 62nd navigation season kicked off on Tuesday with the transit of the Canadian-flagged cement carrier NACC Argonaut through Lock 8 on the Welland Canal.Then, in the early hours on Wednesday morning, first U.S.-flag commercial vessel transited the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., signaling the start of the U.S. fleet's 2020 sailing season.The Seaway’s Montreal / Lake Ontario section will open on April 1 this year, eight days after the opening of the Welland Canal.

03 Jan 2020

For Fireboats, The Heat is On

These days, cost-conscious municipalities across the fruited plain, from sea to shining sea, are ordering new waterborne assets to cover their many local responsibilities. When they do, they want ‘more bang for their buck,’ combining multiple missions – and the equipment that makes it all possible – onto one hull. That’s a tall order on the typically compact patrol boat style hulls that tend to be big on performance, but short on space for equipment that can demand a significant physical footprint. One such shipbuilder stepping up to plate to deliver on a raft of promises is Gulf Coast-based Metal Shark. Significantly expanding its presence in the fireboat market with a diverse range of fireboats currently in production for multiple customers


24 Nov 2019

Seaway Closing to Cost $250Mln per Week

Closing the St. Lawrence Seaway in December to accommodate higher water outflow at the Moses-Saunders dam would cost the Canadian and U.S. economies $250 million/per week — impacting farmers’ grain exports, manufacturing plant operations and disrupting deliveries of fuel, construction materials and road salt for winter safety to cites throughout the region.The Chamber of Marine Commerce is issuing today’s comments to provide a wider context of the economic repercussions related to calls to increase the water outflow at Moses-Saunders dam to levels that would be unsafe for navigation and halt shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway during December.Increasing outflows above the safe navigation limit to the highest levels possible would lower Lake Ontario levels less than 4 centimeters a week.

21 Nov 2019

Damen Road Ferry Launched in Romania

Photo courtesy of Damen

The Amherst Islander II, a Damen Road Ferry 6819 E3, was launched on November 14 at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania.Amherst Islander II is part of a two vessel order that Damen will deliver to the Ministry of Transportation Ontario. The E3 ferries will be among the first passenger/car ferries in North America with the ability to operate fully electric and promise to reduce the amount of emissions by the equivalent of 7 million kg of carbon dioxide each year.With an overall length of close to 72 meters and a loading capacity of up to 42 cars, the Amherst Islander II is the smaller of the two.

05 Sep 2019

Polymer Pioneer Wins Sperry Award

Thomson onboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Hudson with SeaThigor mechanical face seal installed.

 (Photo: Thordon Bearings)

Thordon Bearings’ founder and polymer materials pioneer George A. (Sandy) Thomson has been awarded the global transportation sector’s most distinguished accolade, the Elmer A. Sperry Award 2019 for “Advancing the Art of Transportation”.Thomson joins a long list of Sperry Award recipients, which was established in 1955, including Donald Douglas, Ferdinand Porsche, Sir Geoffrey De Havilland, Christopher Cockerell, Leonard Hobbs, Perry Pratt, Josef Becker and Malcom McLean.“I am deeply honored and humbled to win this award


26 Jun 2019

Water Outflow on Seaway Now Above 10,400 CMS

Photo courtesy of Chamber of Marine Commerce

The Chamber of Marine Commerce supports the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board’s decision Friday to continue flow rates from the Moses-Saunders dam at 10,400 cubic meters per second (CMS).Maintaining the 10,400 CMS outflow still results in a significant cost to the economy, with an estimated $2.3 million to $3 million in business revenues lost for every day it’s in place due to delays for all ship transits through the Seaway.The Chamber’s ship operators are following


18 Apr 2019

Moose Boats wins Rochester NY FD Contract

Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, was awarded a contract from the City of Rochester, New York Fire Department for the construction of the first M2-38 Fire Rescue Catamaran to be delivered to the Great Lakes. Twin Cummins 425hp turbo diesel propulsion engines, Twin Disc transmissions and Hamilton water-jets will power the M2-38 aluminum catamaran. Rochester Fire's new Moose Boat will be equipped with a fire pump system flowing over 1,500


21 Mar 2019

2019 Shipping Season to Open for Duluth

USCGC Mackinaw in Duluth. Credit: port of Duluth

Last night’s arrival of United States Coast Guard Cutters Alder and Mackinaw signaled that the 2019 commercial shipping season is soon to commence for the Port of Duluth-Superior and the entire region.The Alder and Mackinaw made their way across Lake Superior from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, opening a 100-foot lane in the ice that will be widened soon by Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley in support of breakout efforts that will also include local tugs from the Great Lakes Towing Company and Heritage Marine.

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