Mckeil Marine News

U.S. Great Lakes ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway have experienced a rise in cargo shipments to feed domestic construction and manufacturing activity and global export demand, according to the latest June figures.The Great Lakes-Seaway System serves a region that includes eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, and is seen as a marine highway that extends 2,300 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, supporting more than 237,868 jobs and $35 billion in economic activity.If the region were a country…

Canadian grain shipments through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway trade corridor are up 20% in response to continuing world demand for wheat and canola, the latest figures show.Year-to-date shipments of grain (from April 1 to August 31) totaled 5.2 million tonnes, as ships transported Prairie wheat and canola and Ontario wheat and soybeans for both domestic use and for export to markets around the world.The rush of grain, which is carry over from last year’s crops, has helped to offset continuing pandemic-related declines in other key cargoes such as iron ore (down 23%)…

On October 31st, 2019, George A. (Sandy) Thomson, the founder of Thordon Bearings and a pioneer in the development of advanced polymer materials, was presented with the 2019 Elmer A. Sperry Award in recognition of “leading the innovation in water-lubricated propeller shaft bearings” in marine transportation through the use of polymeric compounds.The award was presented to Mr. Thomson at the SNAME Maritime Convention, in Tacoma, USA, by the Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), Mr.

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…

Canada’s marine services provider McKeil Marine Limited has acquired Topaz, an IMO 2, ice class 1A chemical tanker.With this newest addition to its diversified fleet of tugs, barges, workboats and vessels, including bulkers, cement carriers, and tankers, McKeil expands its offering and is poised for additional growth.The Panamanian-flagged Topaz built in 2009, measures 137 metres by 20 metres, with a DWT of 13,965 metric tonnes. The vessel was acquired to service the needs of McKeil’s customer Petro-Canada Lubricants Inc. (PCLI).Her journey originated in Singapore and continued to Malaysia where she loaded a cargo for delivery to the Mediterranean.

TorQuest Partners has invested in McKeil Marine, in partnership with existing management and shareholders, the two companies announced. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. McKeil also announced that Steve Fletcher, President, who has been with McKeil for 17 years, has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and that Blair McKeil, previously Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, has assumed the role of Vice Chairman. McKeil is a Canadian provider of marine transportation and project services for a range of customers and industry sectors across the Great Lakes, St.

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway shipping rebounded in August due to a surge in U.S. grain exports, iron ore shipment improvements and a steady flow of raw materials for manufacturing and construction. “We’ve seen a real rally in August. St. Lawrence Seaway cargo shipments were up 8 percent compared to the same month last year,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “U.S. grain exports now match last season’s strong performance. Iron ore shipments have improved as Canadian and U.S.

While U.S. ports have been busy, overall the beginning of the shipping season has been slower than anticipated. “Although the overall cargo numbers remain down when compared to the same time frame last year, in June we were above the five-year average,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “Imports arriving in the Great Lakes Seaway System kept longshoremen busy during the month of June. About 45 ships arrived from 19 different countries with high value cargo like windmill components, machinery, aluminum ingots, steel, sugar, and general cargo.

“Agricultural commodities along with dry bulk, general cargo and containerized goods continued to enhance cargo tonnage on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System during the month of November,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. The general cargo dock operated by Midwest Terminals had a good month of November at the Port of Toledo. “The ability to handle a diverse array of cargo at this large facility with new material handling equipment is really helping move the economy of Northwest Ohio forward…

As ongoing commodity price pressures continued to impact overall tonnage volumes through the St. Lawrence Seaway in September, the shipping industry was buoyed by a number of investments in recent weeks by ship operators and ports, according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce, an association representing Canadian and American marine industry stakeholders. “Despite slower iron ore and coal, growth continues on the Seaway in shipments for domestic sectors like construction, salt mining, agriculture and manufacturing,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce.

While July Seaway traffic fluctuated across the various categories, U.S. ports handled a wide range of cargoes in July. “It was a solid month for our U.S. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System ports with more ships entering the Seaway System with aluminum, iron ore and salt,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. Also notable was the increase in containers to the Ports of Detroit and Cleveland, wind turbines to the Port of Monroe and outbound shipments of grain from Duluth. “Short sea shipping is alive and well at the Port of Toledo,” said Joe Cappel, Vice President of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

Grain shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway are up 7 per cent this season, continuing the pace set last year when ships carried the largest volume of grain through the navigation system in 14 years. According to The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, grain shipments (including Canadian and U.S. grain) totaled 1.9 million metric tons from April 2 to May 31. The Port of Thunder Bay, the largest grain port on the Great Lakes, reported that its grain shipments were off to the strongest start this season since 1997, as the major handlers continue to export the harvest from 2014. So far this season, Algoma Central Corporation’s ships have carried 50 per cent more grain, mainly from Thunder Bay to Quebec for transshipment overseas.

Even with a blip due to ice coverage in late March and early April, U.S. ports along the Great Lakes-Seaway System are tracking ahead of tonnage moved in April 2014. In fact, most ports are seeing increases in multiple categories. “In 2015 we are excited to continue the momentum from 2014 when we finished the season with a 20 percent increase in overall tonnage,” said Paul Toth, President and CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “There has been a good mix of marine cargo traffic early on in 2015,” said Joe Cappel, Vice President of Business Development for the Port Authority.

The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date cargo shipments of more than 24 million metric tons moved through the system for the period March 28 to September 30 – an increase of nearly 5 percent over September 2013. U.S. grain continued its upward trend posting a 14.6 percent increase over the same time last year. “Cargo tonnage moved through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System during the month of September continues to be robust and reflects positively on the economy and the shipping industry,” said Administrator Betty Sutton of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

The vessels were berthed in the yard for planned repairs and routine maintenance, as well as various inspections and miscellaneous renewals. Great Lakes Shipyard also completed industrial maintenance and winter repairs at the Cleveland Bulk Terminal at the port in Cleveland, Ohio. The work included rebuilding one of the field conveyor hoppers. Carmeuse Lime & Stone operates the Port’s Cleveland Bulk Terminal, handling iron ore and limestone that arrive by ship from other Great Lakes ports.

The Great Lakes Towing Company says it has been extremely busy providing icebreaking assistance, and Great Lakes Shipyard has started repairs and maintenance on Interlake Steamship vessels, with more vessels contracted to follow. Recently, the 140-foot USCG Bay-class Icebreaking Tug Katmai Bay (WTGB 101) was dead in the icy waters and required towing assistance to its homeport dock, and the towing company's tug Missouri was dispatched to break ice and assist it back to its dock. The Missouri is also homeported in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan to assist vessels through the U.S.

The start of the winter layup season at Great Lakes Shipyard is marked by the arrival of Interlake Steamship Company’s articulated tug-barge Dorothy Ann and Pathfinder. The ATB will remain berthed in the yard for planned repairs and routine maintenance, as well as various inspections and miscellaneous renewals.   Other winter layup and repair work scheduled for this winter will include Inland Lakes Management’s S/S Alpena, American Steamship Company’s M/V Sam Laud, and McKeil Marine’s Tug Leonard M and Barge Huron Spirit.   thegreatlakesgroup.com

The Coast Guard oversaw the successful refloating of the motor vessel Orsula, which was completed Sunday. The Orsula, a 656-foot Marshall Islands flagged ship, ran aground in the vicinity of Tibbets Point in the St. Lawrence Seaway, Christmas Day. At about 5:50 p.m., response personnel from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Massena, N.Y., reported the successful refloating of the vessel to prevention branch personnel at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, N.Y. The vessel is currently making way toward Montreal and is being escorted by the tug Salvor.

Despite a downturn in overall cargo movements through the St. Lawrence Seaway in July (down 12.5% over 2012), new cargos and new vessels signaled continued confidence in the future of the navigation system. Several U.S. ports welcomed a variety of heavy lift cargos destined for projects throughout the region. “Twice during July, McKeil Marine Ltd. has called at the Port of Monroe to deliver heavy-lift industrial components,” said Monroe port director Paul LaMarre. “These project pieces were manufactured by Cherubini Metal Workers Ltd in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and will be installed in the last of four Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Units at DTE Energy’s Monroe Power Plant.

The St. Lawrence Seaway will open its 54th annual international shipping season today. The first vessel to transit the Welland Canal as part of the opening ceremony will be the Wilf Seymour/Alouette Spirit from McKeil Marine. The event will include the annual "top hat" ceremony - a tradition since 1947, where a top hat is presented to the captain of the season's first vessel. Indiana's first international ship is tentatively scheduled to arrive at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor on April 7. The MV Isadora, a Polsteam vessel, is traveling from Ijmuiden, Netherlands. "The opening of the locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway allows the flow of international trade to and from the Great Lakes ports," said Peter Laman, port director at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor.

The Great Lakes Towing Company has commenced a major overhaul program for its Great Lakes fleet of 37 harbor assist tugboats. The ILLINOIS is the first of the Company’s tugs to undergo this overhaul at the Company’s new Cleveland shipyard. The new 770-ton Travelift; the largest on the Great Lakes, second largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the third largest in the World; permits the yard to “dry dock” on land several vessels at a time. The Great Lakes Towing Company operates the largest fleet of tugs on the Great Lakes serving 40 ports and has been in continuous business for 113 years.

The loaded grain carrying bulk ship 'Orsula', a 656-foot Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, has been refloated after running aground near Tibbetts Point in the St. Lawrence Seaway, on Boxing Day, but the US Coast Guard report significant damage to her propellor. The 'Orsula' sailed from Duluth, Minn., with 20,000 tons of wheat, and was planning to exit the St. Lawrence Seaway before it closes for the winter on Monday, 30, December 2013. McKeil Marine was hired by the ship’s owners to conduct salvage operations and after lightering cargo and moving ballast, the vessel was refloated.

The Great Lakes Towing Company and McKeil Marine recently performed a joint assist on the 'CSL Assinboine', a 739-foot laker in Canadian Steamship Company’s fleet. The Great Lakes Towing Company tug North Carolina departed Duluth and met McKeil Marine’s tug Leonard M with the CSL Assiniboine in tow. The North Carolina assisted the laker on the stern while the Leonard M towed the vessel on the bow. Upon rrival at Duluth, the Leonord M was released, then the Great Lakes Towing Company's tugs North Carolina…