National Museum of the Great Lakes breaks ground on addition TOLEDO, OH – Amid sunny skies and a brisk wind that occasionally carried a gull or two overhead, the National Museum of the Great Lakes broke ground on a 5,000-square-foot expansion Monday afternoon. The museum’s capital campaign has already raised $4.5 million toward the Second Wave expansion project’s $6 million price tag, which includes construction and exhibit acquisition costs. “Our fundraising efforts for this project are in full swing. We’ve had support from the State of Ohio, forward thinking businesses, generous donors, loyal museum members, and visitors,” said Paul…

Port and vessel activity from Wednesday, April 24 , 2024, compiled by Tom Geiger, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports and pictures to [email protected] You can Now visit Matt Miner’s Saltie page at  https://boatnerd.com/foreign-vessels-on-the-lakes-2024/ PORT REPORT 4/25/2024 ST JOHN’S        [CASJF] 4/24/2024  Atlantic Merlin-DEPARTED-10:59 PM 4/25/2024  Captain Molly Kool-IN PORT 4/25/2024  Maersk Clipper-IN PORT 4/25/2024  Marsol Dragon-IN PORT 4/25/2024  Maersk Clipper-IN PORT 4/26/2024  Oceanex Avalon-ETA-2:37 AM HALIFAX, CANADA     [CAHAL] 4/24/2024  Orion-DEPARTED-8:49 AM 4/24/2024  Atlantic Sky-DEPARTED-5:28 PM 4/25/2024  East Coast-ETA-8:41 AM 4/26/2024  Oceanex Sanderling-IN PORT 4/25/2024  Grand Sapphire-ETA-9:04 AM 4/25/2024  NYK Demeter-ETA-10:34 AM 4/25/2024  MSC Cornelia-ETA-1:56 PM 4/25/2024  Vivienne Sheri…

1874:   The wooden schooner OTTAWA was launched on 25 April 1874, at Grand Haven, Michigan. She was owned by Capt. William R. Loutill and could carry 180,000 feet of lumber. 1885:   T S CHRISTIE (wooden propeller, 160 foot, 533 gross tons) was launched at F. W. Wheeler’s yard (Hull #22) in W. Bay City, Michigan, on 25 April 1885. She was built for the Bay City & Cleveland Transportation Company at a cost of $45,000. Originally built as a double-deck vessel, she was cut down to a single decker at Chicago in 1902. 1888:    On 25 April 1888, JESSIE…

Ferry Badger will start season June 1 The S.S. Badger’s schedule has been updated, with crossings now starting earlier than expected. Departures will commence on June 1st instead of June 14th. Continue checking back for even earlier booking dates. Read more here: https://myemail-api.constantcontact.com/Crossings-Now-Starting-June-1st—.html?soid=1102183130649&aid=zm8W0bYeVtU Lake Michigan Carferry Keewatin museum at Kingston rebrands Kingston, ON – The Marine Museum of the Great Lake at Kingston has rebranded itself the Great Lakes Museum. Visit https://greatlakesmuseum.ca/ to learn about the museum and centerpiece the steamer Keewatin. Tours of Keewatin start May 13. Two tours will be offered: a 75 minute Passenger Experience and a…

Port and vessel activity from Tuesday, April 23 , 2024, compiled by Tom Geiger, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports and pictures to [email protected] You can Now visit Matt Miner’s Saltie page at  https://boatnerd.com/foreign-vessels-on-the-lakes-2024/ PORT REPORT 4/24/2024 ST JOHN’S        [CASJF] 4/23/2024  Marsol Dragon-DEPARTED-3:32 PM 4/23/2024  Atlantic Heron-DEPARTED-6:22 PM 4/23/2024  Oceanex Connaigra-DEPARTED-9:27 PM 4/23/2024  Atlantic Merlin-DEPARTED-10:59 PM 4/24/2024  Capt. Molly Kool-IN PORT 4/24/2024  Dalton Pioneer-IN PORT 4/24/2024  CGE 224-IN PORT 4/24/2024  Maersk Mobiliser-IN PORT 4/24/2024  Maersk Clipper-IN PORT 4/26/2024  Oceanex Avalon-ETA-9:21 PM HALIFAX, CANADA     [CAHAL] 4/23/2024  CB Pacific-DEPARTED-1:11 PM 4/23/2024  Wolfsburg-DEPARTED-1:23 PM 4/23/2024  Bob Annand-DEPARTED-2:30 PM 4/23/2024  One Cygnus-DEPARTED-6:28…

1872:   On 24 April 1872, the 3-mast wooden schooner JENNIE GRAHAM was sailing up Lake Huron to pick up a load of lumber. She was light and at full sail when a sudden squall caused her to capsize. Two crewmembers were trapped below decks and died. Captain Duncan Graham was washed away and drowned. The remaining seven crewmembers clung to the overturned hull for about an hour and then the vessel unexpectedly turned upwards and lay on one side. The crew was then able to cut away a lifeboat and get in it. They were later picked up by the…

National Museum of the Great Lakes to break ground on expansion Toledo, OH – The National Museum of the Great Lakes will break ground on a 5,000-square-foot expansion Monday afternoon to provide additional space for temporary and traveling exhibits, new permanent exhibit spaces, and a community education center. The museum’s capital campaign has already raised $4.5 million toward the Second Wave expansion project’s $6 million price tag, which includes construction and exhibit acquisition costs. “It will allow us to bring in multiple Smithsonian quality exhibits annually,” said Kate Fineske, executive director of the museum, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary…

Port and vessel activity from Monday, April 22 , 2024, compiled by Tom Geiger, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports and pictures to [email protected] You can Now visit Matt Miner’s Saltie page at  https://boatnerd.com/foreign-vessels-on-the-lakes-2024/ PORT REPORT 4/23/2024 ST JOHN’S        [CASJF] 4/22/2024  Marsol Dragon-ETA-7:39 AM 4/22/2024  Oceanex Sanderling-DEPARTED-4:05 PM 4/23/2024  Atlantic Merlin-IN PORT 4/23/2024  Atlantic Heron-IN PORT 4/23/2024  Avalon Sea-IN PORT 4/23/2024  Oceanex Connaigra-ETA-6:49 AM HALIFAX, CANADA     [CAHAL] 4/22/2024  Wicky Spirit-DEPARTED-9:55 AM 4/22/2024  Tropic Lissette-DEPARTED-6:50 PM 4/22/2024  One Apus-DEPARTED-7:04 PM 4/22/2024  Sheila Ann-DEPARTED-10:27 PM 4/22/2024  Melina-DEPARTED-11:13 PM 4/23/2024  CB Pacific-IN PORT 4/23/2024  Wolfsburg-IN PORT 4/23/2024  One Cygnus-ETA-5:16 AM 4/24/2024 …

1859:   On 23 April 1859, at about midnight, the schooner S. BUTTLES was fighting a severe gale. She was carrying staves from Port Burwell, Ontario, to Clayton, New York, and sprang a leak while battling the gale. While manning the pumps, one man was washed overboard, but his shipmates quickly rescued him. Capt. Alexander Pollock beached the vessel to save her about 10 miles east of the Genesee River. 1882:   On 23 April 1882, GALLATIN (2-mast wooden schooner, 138 foot, 422 tons, built in 1863, at Oswego, New York) was carrying pig iron from St. Ignace, Michigan, to Erie, Pennsylvania,…

Ontario Shipyards temporarily pauses operations in Thunder Bay THUNDER BAY, ON – Ted Kirkpatrick, director of business development and government relations, told The Chronicle-Journal that they have decided to temporarily idle operations at its shipyard largely due to market conditions and the availability of skilled labor. “Despite these challenging conditions, we remain committed to revitalizing Ontario’s shipbuilding and ship repair industry, including in Thunder Bay,” Kirkpatrick said, adding their organization has no plans to divest from the Thunder Bay shipyard and will remain committed to the city community. “We continue to actively pursue a number of high-potential shipbuilding opportunities for…