Grand River News

The St. Marys River has reopened to vessel traffic after a U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighter struck a channel light in the waterway.At approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, the 730-foot bulk carrier American Mariner suffered a marine casualty and went bow-first into the Munuscong Junction Light, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The incident occurred in Munuscong Lake, which is a section of the St. Marys River in Michigan state.The American Steamship Company-owned vessel is operated by Grand River Navigation under a bareboat charter.

A portion of the St. Marys River has been closed to vessel traffic after a U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighter struck a channel light in the waterway.At approximately 1 a.m., the 730-foot bulk carrier American Mariner suffered a marine casualty and struck the Munuscong Junction Light with its bow, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The incident occurred in Munuscong Lake, which is a section of the St. Marys River in Michigan state.The American Steamship Company-owned vessel is currently operated by Grand River Navigation under a bareboat charter.

A U.S. registered laker ran aground in the St. Clair River near Marine City, Mich. on Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said it was notified at 7:21 a.m. that the 617-foot-long vessel American Courage grounded with a cargo of 20,000 tons of stone on board. No injuries or pollution have been reported.The river remains open to navigation, though a marine safety broadcast has been issued urging mariners to use caution while transiting the area.The Coast Guard said it is coordinating with the vessel's owner—Traverse City…

A U.S. registered bulk carrier has reportedly spilled diesel in Lake Michigan, approximately 1.5 nautical miles offshore of Manistee, Mich., the U.S. Coast Guard said.At approximately 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday, the 630-foot self-unloading bulk carrier Manitowoc reported a hull breach on its starboard diesel tank. The maximum spill potential is 45,174 gallons of diesel, the Coast Guard said.At the time of the report, the lake was at anchor 1.5 nautical miles offshore, northwest of where the Manistee River enters Lake Michigan.

New legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) will codify the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes and increase the icebreaking capacity of the Great Lakes fleet.The Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act aims to increase Great lakes icebreaking capacity, which the lawmakers say will help the businesses and workers that rely on the maritime industry to transport their goods to market and grow the regional economy.“In recent years…

India has sent technical equipment and a team of specialists to Mauritius to help local authorities deal with an environmental crisis after an oil spill from a Japanese ship, a government official said on Sunday.The Japanese bulk carrier Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island nation on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and triggering a state of “environmental emergency”.The carrier split on Saturday, and the oil spill spread over a vast area of endangered corals…

The St. Marys River is closed to commercial vessels from the Soo Locks to 6 Mile Point, after a 629-foot U.S. cargo ship ran aground on the north side of Sugar Island, Wednesday, at about 11:40 p.m. The merchant vessel, Calumet, departed Essar Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and was transiting downbound on the St. Marys River to its next port of call in Brevort, Mich., when it ran aground. The vessel was not carrying any cargo. There was no pollution, and no injuries have been reported. The U.S. Coast Guard is monitoring the vessel, and the U.S.

A 629-foot U.S. cargo ship ran aground on the north side of Sugar Island in the St. Marys River, Wednesday at 11:40 p.m. The merchant vessel Calumet departed ESSAR Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and was transiting downbound in the St. Marys River to its next port of call in Brevort, Michigan, when it ran aground. The U.S. Coast Guard is on scene and no injuries have been reported. The vessel is currently aground and stable. There are currently no signs of pollution. The St. Marys River is closed to commercial vessels from the Soo Locks to 6 Mile Point. The vessel’s company, Grand River Navigation Inc., is taking precautionary measures to help ensure the safety of the environment and developing a salvage plan. The cause of the grounding is under investigation. Source: U.S.

A replica of the Hermione sailed into jubilation Saturday morning, as hundreds packed into a sunny Boston Harbor, wearing colonial garb and straw hats, listening to the sound of bagpipes, and waving French and American flags. The Friends of Hermione-Lafayette in America, Inc. (FOHLA), a non-profit educational and cultural organization, is sponsoring the historic return of the Hermione to Boston, as part of her U.S. summer tour up the eastern seaboard. When the French military officer Marquis de Lafayette landed in Boston more than 200 years ago — bearing news that changed the course of the American Revolution — Bostonians greeted him with the roar of guns, the ringing of the city’s bells, and the music of a band.

The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan rescued 4 people after their 20-foot boat caught fire on the Grand River, Sunday. A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Grand Haven was on an afternoon boat safety patrol near the Grand Haven Power Plant at about 3:45 p.m. when they witnessed a person jump from a boat and into the water. When they arrived on scene to pull that person out of the water, three other people jumped in the water from the same boat, seconds before the boat burst into flames. Neither person who jumped into the water was wearing a life jacket. The Coast Guard crew pulled two people out the water and onto their 25-foot response boat. A good Sam pulled the other two persons out of the water before transferring them to the Coast Guard boat.

The Coast Guard rescued a man from a boat taking on water near Fairport Harbor, Ohio, Tuesday afternoon. The name of the boater is not being released, and there is no Coast Guard imagery. At about 3:30 p.m., a watchstander at Coast Guard Station Fairport, in Grand River, Ohio, responded to a phone call from a boater reporting a boat taking on water in the Grand River. The watchstander immediately directed the launch of a rescue boat crew aboard a 45-foot response boat. At about 3:45 p.m. the rescue crew arrived on scene and sent two members aboard the 19-foot boat to investigate the cause of flooding. They quickly noticed that the boat's plug was missing.

The Coast Guard says it has held a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of a new building at Station Fairport located in Grand River, Ohio. The new 18,000 square foot station building meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards and includes a modern command center, administrative offices, and training, dining and berthing spaces. Attending the ceremony were: Rear Adm. Fred Midgette, commander of the Coast Guard 9th District, Congressman Dave Joyce and many other state and local partners in the area. An attached boat maintenance facility and travel lift can fit the station’s largest boat. Newly-dredged boat moorings feature updated refueling facilities. The project includes upgraded security fencing, lighting, paving and landscaping.

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 U.S. Coast Guard issued temporary regulations for commercial marine traffic on the Lower Grande River affected by the Gross Tete bridge closure, Tuesday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at approximately 10:30 p.m., Feb. 28, that the towing vessel St. Thomas struck the Gross Tete bridge while transiting northbound and damaged the bridge. Repairs and construction are currently in progress, and a temporary ferry that carries six people at a time has been established approximately one half-mile downstream of the bridge to assist residents and workers to cross the Lower Grand River. Due to the hazards associated with construction to repair and related ferry operations, the Lower Grand River will be closed daily to all vessel traffic from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m.

At the 150th Annual Meeting of the Members of ABS, three industry leaders were elected to the ABS Council. Following the Annual Meeting, the ABS Council met and elected industry leaders to both its Marine and Offshore Technical Committees. Individuals serving on the ABS Council and the Technical Committees help guide the class society in fulfilling its mission of promoting the security of life, property and the natural environment. “Classification represents the concept of self-regulation for the marine and offshore industry,” said ABS President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki.

The 121st annual convention of International Ship Masters’ Association (ISMA), held in Detroit, Mich., concluded on Saturday, February 12, 2011. Grand Secretary-Treasurer: George R. ISMA encourages the development of new licensed maritime officers by offering annual scholarships. Cory T. Tommy B. At its discretion, ISMA bestows awards recognizing mariners for their roles in at-sea rescue and other acts of heroism on the waters of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Captain Steve Rose…

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises announced that it is expanding its executive team with the appointment of Tom Russell as its new senior vice president of product development. He will join the company on October 14 and will be based in the Fort Lauderdale office. His appointment follows on the heels of the line's recent purchase of the expedition ship World Discoverer. While Russell will coordinate a variety of major projects and initiatives across departments, his primary focus will be to oversee the establishment of the new luxury expeditionary cruise product, having responsibility for its design, deployment and itinerary development. Russell is no stranger to Silversea.