Another laker with the bridge at the bow, LTT's Michipicoten, loading ore. You can see the unloading boom swung to the side to make room for the chutes coming down from the dock. [1952, BoatNerd] It was "built on saltwater" because the Great Lakes shipyards were overloaded. Since it was built before the Seaway opened in 1959, it is smallish so that it could go up the Mississippi and Illinois river to the Great Lakes. It was one of three boats built in 1952 that used the waterway. So the Marine Angel was not the only boat that required movement of the movable bridges between Lemont, IL, and the South Branch of the Chicago River.]
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| Kenneth Bailey posted The Michipicoten entering Muskegon Andrew Dawn Severson Nice break from the Soo Marquette run. |
Jun 8, 2024: there were a lot of photos of Michipicotin because it had an accident. No one was hurt, but the freighter limped into Keefer Terminal Dock for inspection. Here is one of those photos:
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| Bruce Symington posted The Classic Laker " Michipicotin " has so far survived a major collision with an unkown object early Saturday morning just South West of Isle Royal off of the hamlet of Grand Portage Mn. All hands are reported to be safe and Ok.The photo attached shows her safely tied to the Keefer Terminal Dock with an approximate 5 degree Starboard List and down at the bow. You can see a mobile crane boom lowering a large pump on to her fore deck and another on the dock both of which are painted red. The following is an A/P press release : by: AP, Schyler Perkins, Rebecca Bartelme Posted: Jun 8, 2024 / 11:40 AM EDT Updated: Jun 8, 2024 / 02:27 PM EDT SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (AP) — The crew is on their way to safety after a freighter in Lake Superior hit something underwater on Saturday and started taking on water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard Great Lakes district received reports about 6:53 a.m. that a 689-foot-long (210-meter-long) ship called the Michipicoten had collided with something about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Isle Royale, which is part of the state of Michigan. The ship was carrying taconite, which is a low-grade iron ore, and had 22 people aboard. Water pumps onboard began displacing water, authorities said, and there were no signs that anything spilled from the ship. By 9:15 a.m., water pumps had reduced the listing of the freighter from 15 degrees to 5 degrees, the Coast Guard said. The collision occurred in the northwest part of the lake, which straddles the U.S.-Canadian border and is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Helicopter and boat crews responded Saturday morning, the Coast Guard said. As of 12:30 p.m., Canadian search-and-rescue boat Cape Chaillon had reached the Michipicoten and half of the crew had been removed for safety. The cause of the flooding and any other damage to the vessel will be investigated once the situation is stabilized. The bulk carrier Edwin H. Gott is currently alongside the Michipicoten. U.S. Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and National Park Service vessels remain actively involved. Bruce Symington shared Doug Briggs: Collision is not confirmed. I wonder if being a 72 year old boat may mean a structural failure is possible. Paul Thompson: Crew members stated when they got to Thunder Bay, to not believe the news reports. Mike Rezabek: Popped seam sounds feasible and likely. It can sound and feel like a collision. Eric Holst: Ship's age might be a factor here, but it's worth remembering that a significant portion of this ship is not from 1952. There's quite a bit of 1958, 1980, and 2011 in it. It's quite possible this ship is in better shape than some of its 1970s-vintage fleetmates given differences in previous owners' maintenance styles, cargo types carried, and initial construction quality. Michipicoten received a new main engine / propulsion system in 2010-2011, so the ship has one of the newest and most efficient power plants in all of the owning company's fleet(s). It also seems as though the owning company has kept this ship away from hauling rock salt, which many of its fleetmates do; rock salt is very corrosive and drastically shortens the potential lifespans of ships that carry it unless they have intensive/expensive preventative coatings and/or maintenance programs in place. That means that Michipicoten may still be in better condition compared to some of its fleetmates that are 20+ years younger than it. Michipicoten's owners are already down one operational ship vs. what they were expecting to be able to field this year after the pre-season fire aboard MV Cuyahoga, and a number of other ships in their fleet have experienced significant unexpected downtime this spring due to various groundings and mechanical problems. That means it's possible that the owning company is feeling a bit behind on their cargo carrying commitments to customers this season. One never knows, but it seems like there are lots of factors that would point to Michipicoten being promptly repaired and returned to service. Bruce Symington shared Gilbert Pesheau: Pretty sure that collision was with time .. |
A history of the 72-year old Michipicoten "The 698-foot [213m] ore boat was once the largest vessel to ever sail the Cuyahoga River." It was converted from steam to two diesels in 2011.
This photo got quite a few shares. It clearly shows the list.
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| Michael Hull posted After some difficulties this morning, MICHIPICOTEN (1952 Canada) successfully made it to the Port of Thunder Bay and has docked at Keefer Terminal on June 8, 2024. Michael Hull also posted with the same comment |
Free Eyes FM posted two photos with the comment:
FYI: This is for visual education purposes only. It is not intended to spread misinformation or cause conspiracy theories.I did a small comparison based on observations people made about the MICHIPICOTEN being at a 15-degree angle. The picture taken by Matthew Carlson showed it at a 5-degree angle. Here's how it looked before they activated the water pump to reduce it to a 5-degree angle. Please note, this is just an estimate and not accurate.On the left is a 5-degree angle; on the right is about a 15-degree angle.For additional reference, "listing" is a nautical term used to describe when a vessel takes on water and tilts to one side. As you can see, I was using degrees in this context. People often bring this up. So, in this reference, the vessel is listing from 5 to list 15.Photo credit: Matthew Carlson
[As implied, the second photo was photoshopped to show what a 15-degree list looks like.]
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| 1 of 5 drone photos posted by Imagine Films It's days like today that you appreciate the dedicated work of our coast guard, rescue teams, tug services and Port of Thunder Bay. The Michipicoten slowly made it's way to the Keefer terminals after listing near Grand Marais. Incidents like these require elevated approval to capture. Both flight clearance and harbour clearance was in place before flying. It's nice to get the shot, but not without distracting from safety personnel. [I picked this one because it not only shows the list, it shows the crane being set up and two pumps ready to be lifted on board.] Janey Anderson shared Alan Auld shared |
This is one of the earlier 16 posts I saw. They are mostly noise because they are speculating. I include this one because it has the only one I saw that had photos of it and Edwin H. Gott in the lake.
Jeff Leech posted three photos with the comments:
The Michipicoten freighter started taking on water early this morning. This is the view 5 miles out from Grand Portage. Helicopters circling. It looks like it may go down. 700 ft of water out here. Another freighter came to its aide. (The Gott)Update: They are underway trying to make it to Thunder Bay.Last update: They are safely in Thunder Bay.
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| 1 [It had listed as badly as 15 degrees before they got the onboard pumps going. Are we seeing 15 degrees in these photos? The comments disagree with "It looks like it may go down." According to her crew, she was not at risk of sinking.] |
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| Michael Hull posted Update on MICHIPICOTEN: NPS PEREGRINE just refuelled in Thunder Bay. Peregrine picked up some MICHIPICOTEN crew members. I personally spoke with a MICHIPICOTEN crew member. He said, “don’t listen to what you’re hearing on the news. We got it taken care of.” He reassured me that the ship will make it to Thunder Bay and should be all good. Louise Lines: Reliable news when it comes from Michael Hull. [I recognize Michael as a photographer of shipping action in Thunder Bay.] Michael also posted with the same comment |
Some comments on a post by Janey Anderson:
Ron Beaupre: The hull just cracked open on the starboard side and that let water flood the ballast tank. Please keep in mind this hull is 72 years old. Even steel hulls ripen with age. Steel, when flexed many many times, becomes brittle leading to cracking. The cargo will be transferred ship to ship by the self unloader on board MICHIPICOTEN. Unfortunately, the dry dock in Thunder Bay, owned by Heddle, has been shut down and not available.
Matthew Carlson: Unfortunately, Heddle closed the drydock in January. They put in in indefinite closure and all workers found jobs elsewhere, and with the shipyard closed they also closed the machine shop Fabmar that did the repairs and stuff to ships for decades. They could open the yard up to get it in but they would have to hurry to gather up a crew to run the yard and start laying the blocs and prep the dock.
Greg Hilliard: The boat has 2 tanks per hold that are L shaped that are formed by the ship bottom/ side and the wall of the cargo hold.
If he has a hole in the hull only the punchured tank will flood.
Floding will stop when the water level in the tank reaches the height of the draft of the ship.
Flooding the tank on the opposite side my corect a list however calculations must be made to not over stress the structure of the ship.
LLT self unloader crews are quite experienced at managing the stability of a vessel.
Thay have it under control and I bet she will be back in service within a month or so.
Matthew Carlson: the dock it has only has 27’ at most of water so even if it was to rest on the bottom that’s not terrible it’ll only go down about 4 more feet then it was. They have a dive team going down to inspect it and asses the situation and then work out a plan. Arrangements were made to have 2 large diesel pump’s waiting on the dock for when it arrived and I think they still have our pumps onboard also (2x 2” gas powered pumps) and our 7 lengths of suction hose and being dockside anything else they may possibly need can easily be brought down to the ship. Obviously only when the divers are done their inspection we will know more. [I gather Matthew Carlson is an employee at the dock.]
TeeGee Hawks: I heard on another outlet that CG thinks it was a stress fracture
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| 1 of 4 photos Matthew Carlson added to Janey's post [For a loaded freighter to have its stern that far out of the water can't be normal. The flooded ballast tank must be near the bow as well as on the starboard side.] |
Mathew Carlson posted eight photos of it limping to the dock. The freighter was built in 1952.
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| Janey Anderson posted Thunder Bay divers put a patch on Michipicoten's cracked hull - Gary Rinne A plate was welded over a four-metre-long rupture, and water has been removed from the hull of the Michipicoten remains docked at Keefer Terminal where divers have put a temporary patch on its cracked hull (photo courtesy Michael Hull) Water leaking through the hull caused a 15-degree list although bilge pumps were able to reverse the flooding, and the vessel was able to make it to Thunder Bay under escort. The ship's owner – Lower Lakes Towing – and Canadian and American authorities continue to investigate the cause of the four-metre-long hull fracture but have said there's been no indication the ship struck something in the water between Two Harbors, Minnesota and Isle Royale. "This appears to be a result of fatigue/structural failure," the Transportation Safety Board indicated Monday. At dockside at Keefer Terminal on the weekend, a team from Big Lake Dive & Marine entered the water for an initial inspection, and located the breach in the hull. Company owner Judson Beals told TBnewswatch the crew then went back down with welding equipment, accompanied by a specialist from southern Ontario, to patch the crack. "We located the crack that they believed was on the hull of the ship, confirmed the length for them, and the size, and that was on Saturday. Then, on Sunday we were able to stop the leak, the water ingress, by putting on a plate with rubber for a temporary patch until it can get to dry dock and have proper repairs done." Beals said all the water in the ship has been pumped out, and it is no longer listing. He described the width of the crack in the hull as about a quarter of an inch, or "very minimal." "I can't speak for the owner, but I believe it is repairable. The problem with our shipyard is they've closed down," he said, referring to the currently-idled Ontario Shipyards facility in Thunder Bay. So far, there's no word from Lower Lakes Towing on its plans for the 72-year-old ship. The U.S. Coast Guard has said a proper inspection will require offloading its cargo of iron ore pellets before it goes into dry dock. On Facebook, a post attributed to a member of the Michipicoten's crew described the incident on the lake as a "horrifying journey," and said they were lucky the weather was on their side on Saturday. He wrote: "We went through a day of pure terror...not know[ing] if we would see another day was frighten[ing]." TBnewswatch has reached out to this individual, but has not received a response. The Seafarers International Union doesn't represent the ship's crew but said it was happy to see no one was injured, and that it hopes everyone gets the support they need "following such a traumatic event." In a brief statement Tuesday, a union spokesperson said: "It is important that the investigation is done diligently, and we look forward to seeing the results, as safety at sea is the number one priority to keep all Canadian seafarers safe on the job." Transport Canada is investigating in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard. In a statement, it said its role as the federal regulator is to determine if the circumstances of the incident included any non-compliance with the Canada Shipping Act. A government marine safety inspector has been on the vessel twice since it arrived at Keefer Terminal. Transport Canada said it continues to gather information, "and will take appropriate action should any non-compliance be identified." The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is the lead federal agency for determining the cause and contributing factors of transportation incidents. It has not deployed investigators to Thunder Bay, but said in a statement Monday that it has been gathering information to determine if an investigation is warranted. "After analysis of preliminary information, it was determined that the occurrence is unlikely to yield new safety lessons that will advance transportation safety. Therefore, it has been classified as a Class 5 occurrence." The TSB explained that Class 5 occurrences are not subject to full investigations followed by an investigation report, but information is recorded for possible future safety analysis, statistical reporting or archival purposes. |
This video includes some history of the freighter and ends while she is still in Thunder Bay.
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| 6:45 video @ 3:02 |
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| TJ Per posted Cargo transfer has started out great. Massive effort by the crew of both vessels supported by some key personnel from shore side. Looking forward to completing the transfer tomorrow [Jun 6, 2024]. Matt Collins: How often has a ship to ship transfer occurred? Ruth Thomas: Matt Collins Around March 29th this season the Burns Harbor had to offload some cargo because it bottomed out at BNSF Dock 5 in the Twin Ports. Read the comments from David Schauer's posts on March 29th and March 31st on "Shipping of the Lake Superior Region". I found them by searching "Burns Harbor". Jessica Scott Burns: Matt Collins also; around 15 years ago, I believe the St. Clair offloaded a load of coal into the Indiana Harbor in Duluth because they did actually run aground on something in the harbor. I remember pictures posted on the old boatnerd site about it. Jim Dean: I heard that it happens rather regularly in Montreal where two laker bulk carriers will off load into a much larger ocean going bulker that is far too large for the seaway. Kevin King Sr.: We used to do transfer loads all the time in the 80's. Sometimes 4 to 5 ships all married together with one acting as the bumper boat, and then one unloading into the other until it reached the ship that would be loading the salty. Sometimes 2 to 3 boats shifting at once. Jim Brokaw: Takes me back! This is how Inland's EJ Block spent most of her time in the 70s: shuttling cargo from the Sykes, Ryerson and Joe Block at Plant 2 in INdiana Harbor up the canal past a series of narrow railroad bridges to Plant 3. |
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| Matthew Carlson commented on TJ's post |
3 of 25 photos posted by Michael Hull with the comment:
MANITOULIN (1991 Canada) and Captain TJ Per in the Port of Thunder Bay on June 14, 2024 to assist with unloading MICHIPICOTEN (1952 Canada). From an outside perspective, the unexpected mishap with Michipicoten was expertly managed with exemplary cooperation from bi-national companies, organizations and individuals.
John Bond: The seamanship involved in these maneuvers is amazing!
Michael Hull also posted with the same comment
Db Miko: The MANITOULIN looks much smaller, was she able to take the whole load?
Justin Olsen: Db Miko Manitoulin has higher cargo capacity.
Steve Sydow: Sad news: https://www.chroniclejournal.com/.../article_50f08aac...
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| a You can tell that the freighter is turning because of the prop wash on the port side of the bow. |
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| David Schauer posted A timely confluence of a BNSF switch crew delivering cars to CHS and Viterra plus the Presque Isle arriving for work at Fraser Shipyards today. I suspect the dry (graving) dock at the shipyard already has blocks laid out for the Michipicoten, expected in the next day or so for evaluation and hopefully repair. Tug Helen H assisted. Superior, WI - June 15, 2024 |
David Schauer posted three photos with the comment: "It looks like tug Helen H found a nice quiet campground for the evening while it takes a break from heading toward Thunder Bay to assist the Michipicoten to Superior tomorrow. Taconite Harbor, MN - June 19, 2024"
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2 of 22 photos posted by Michael Hull with the comment: "MICHIPICOTEN (1952 Canada) departed from Keefer Terminal in the Port of Thunder Bay in the early morning hours of June 20, 2024 with the assistance of GLENADA (1943) from Thunder Bay Tug Services. The ship is headed to the dry-dock in Superior for repairs."
[Note the bow thruster action. The freighter is being escorted by a tug as a safety precaution.]
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There were a lot of photos of the Michipicoten contending with taking a photo at night. This was one of the better of them.
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| Katie Barron posted Thank goodness she made it! [I recognize this as the entry to the Duluth Canal.] |
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| 1 of 5 photos posted by Teresa Stockton You could hear the cheers when she came into the canal! So thankful these sailors are there safely!!! The tug salute did not get cheers. |
David Schauer posted two photos with the comment: "All tucked away at the dry (graving) dock at Fraser Shipyards this morning as workers dewater the dock so the Michipicoten can be inspected. Superior, WI - June 21, 2024"
David Watt: Well, the divers did a preliminary inspection. To replace her, it would probably cost almost a billion, maybe even more. I'd bet once they sand blast her damage, and design a repair plan, She will be back in service by mid July, maybe even sooner. Many ships built during her time are still working. With the new welding techniques, the fixed area will be the best part of the ship. Heck, they might even spend a little more on upgrades.
Robert B Ritchie: David Watt The Algoma Equinox class run about $85,000,000.00. Plus...
It will be a tough decision.
Janey Anderson shared with the comment:
Henry McGowan: The COAST GUARD will have the final say on whether it gets to go back out on the lakes , but the insurance company may not insure it now.
Michipicoten - safe and sound at Fraser Shipyards/Superior.
Thanks so much David Schauer!❤️
June 21, 2024
Henry McGowan: The COAST GUARD will have the final say on whether it gets to go back out on the lakes , but the insurance company may not insure it now.
Kyran Clune: The underwriters will have the last word ,
Connie Egan Dompier: So this is a dry dock. In parentheses you have written graving. Exactly what does this mean, please?
Matthew Carlson: Connie Egan Dompier graving dock is the name of type of drydock, where the water is pumped out. There’s also what’s called floating dry docks that are basically like a big barge that sinks, the boat goes on them and then the water is pumped out from the ballast tanks to float it.
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| 2 [Note the water discharge from the pumps into the river. And you can already see the top of the prop between the stern and the rudder.] |
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| Erik Pederson commented on David's post |
David Schauer posted two photos with the comment: "A before and after image of the Michipicoten at Fraser Shipyards today as the water was drained from the dock. I didn't see any obvious signs of a weld - if one could be seen - on the starboard side, but I also didn't fly close out of respect for those working around the vessel. Superior, WI - June 21, 2024"
Tim Fink: How long did it take to drain the water??
David Schauer: Tim Fink I don't know when they started, but probably around 3 this morning and I was there after 1. Maybe 8-10 hours?
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| Rob Culver commented on David's post Well I’m obviously here as a boat nerd, in real life I’m a civil engineer with a background in geotechnical construction. The dry dock is having a wall failure, they tried to throw some tiebacks and walers in but it still appears to be failing. At least fill in the depression in the dirt so the water doesn’t settle there and exacerbate the problem. There, ok, now I can sleep. 😳 |
July 20, 2024:
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| Michael Konczak posted The Michipicoten is floating again! Fraser Shipyards, July 20, 2024. Photo by Michael Konczak |
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| Janey Anderson posted On June 10, the Michipicoten sustained a substantive stress fracture on the starboard side of her hull. She was patched in Thunder Bay and cargo unloaded, and on June 20 sailed to Fraser Shipyards/Superior dry dock for repairs. Now a month later, she has been refloated and the appropriate inspections will commence. She could be back on the water very soon if all goes well. *all details to be confirmed and may be revised. Photo: Michael Konczak Michipicoten in dry dock at Fraser Shipyards in Superior, 6.21.24 Photo by Michael Konczak |
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| Brian R. Wroblewski commented on Janey's post Brian R. Wroblewski commented on Michael's post This is an (unconfirmed) photo of the crack of the Michipichotten's hull plate posted to a different group by John Stevenson. The yellow line indicates the length of the crack. Willard Donoho: Brian R. Wroblewski looks like fatigue in the heat affected zone of the seam weld. |
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| Chris Mazzella commented on Janey's post She's still in drydock, but floating. |
July 25, 2024, it failed its inspection and will likely be scrapped according to this video. But I would presume that a failed inspection means there is a list of issues that need to be fixed.
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| 2:00 video |
This comment by Eric Holst on a post confirms the above video is probably wrong.
It should be made very clear that the wording of that "news" from that single or small handful of posts/videos on social media invites a a healthy dose of skepticism.Ships don't typically "fail" an inspection in a way that means they're simply done. A failed inspection leaves the owner with a list of further/additional work that needs to be carried out or procedural/safety/paperwork concerns that need to be addressed before the ship in question can be cleared to operate. So all a failed inspection typically means is “The ship is not cleared to sail until this list of items is addressed; once that has been done, let's set a date for another inspection and try again."If a ship is retired after a failed inspection, it is unlikely that it means that the authorities somehow doomed the ship, it's more likely that the owner decided not to spend the money required to get the ship up to snuff.It's possible that the owners have decided not to reactivate Michipicoten. It would be a bit surprising, however, since the ship has the newest engine in the fleet and the owners have presumably already spent a substantial amount of money to drydock the ship, repair the hull plating in the area of the stress fracture, and rigorously inspect the rest of the steel in the ship's hull plates/framing.It's plausible that given all of the media attention / public spotlight, the inspectors are being extra thorough trying to make sure they're not sending out a ship back into service that's going to have another major mechanical issue right away. Ultimately if the owners want Michipicoten to sail again, they should be able to spend the money / make the effort to get the ship in sailing shape. If that were to fail to happen, it would be less about the deficiency of the ship and more about a lack of willpower or funds on ownership's part.
Aug 9, 2024:
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| David Schauer posted BNSF afternoon job 214 passes the Michipicoten at Fraser Shipyards Thursday evening. The jury is still out on the fate of the Michipicoten. Superior, WI - August 8, 2024 Max Koehn: Oh nice. Opera window centerbeams! Mike Barbacovi: The jury is not out. The Michipicoten is a virtual lock to be towed away to long term storage, dismantled for parts and ultimately scrapped. Fraser will have her moved out of dry dock no later than early November. Sad ending. |
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| David Schauer posted Ocean vessel Bogdan at the Viterra grain elevator while Michipicoten bides its time at Fraser Shipyards, its fate still in limbo. Superior, WI - September 5, 2024 |
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