An artist's rendition of the new Equinox Class vessels. Photo: Algoma Central Corp.

Algoma Central Corp., the largest Canadian shipowner and operator of Canadian-flagged Great Lakes vessels, has announced plans to install fresh water exhaust gas scrubbers on six new vessels that the company says will remove 97% of sulphur oxides emissions generated by vessel engines.

The St. Catharines, Ontario-based company has signed a contract with Wärtsilä Ship Power for the supply of the systems for its Equinox Class vessels, which are currently being built by Chinese shipbuilder Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry Co. Ltd, for a total supply and installation cost of the six scrubber systems is US$12 million.

The two gearless bulk carriers and four self-unloading bulk carriers are designed specifically for Great Lakes service with high efficiency hulls that will require less horsepower to achieve higher speeds than any previous Great Lakes design and thus achieve the lowest fuel consumption and emissions per tonne/kilometre of cargo carried.  The first Equinox Class vessel will arrive in Canada in the first half of 2013.

The Algoma order is the first for Wärtsilä’s new, integrated, fresh water, exhaust gas scrubber design. The scrubbers are designed to clean the exhaust gases of the vessels’ main and auxiliary engines as well as the oil-fired boiler and will meet more stringent environmental regulations taking effect over the next three years.

These scrubber systems will allow shipowners to use lower cost, heavy fuel oils while, at the same time, meet the new Emission Control Area sulphur limits established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and adopted by Canada and the United States for the Great Lakes and coastal waters.  Without scrubber technology, shipowners will be forced to convert vessels to burn more expensive low sulfur diesel.

The Wärtsilä scrubber concept works with fresh water recirculating in a closed-loop system. Sulphur oxides that are washed out of the exhaust are neutralized with caustic soda. A small amount of scrubbing water is continuously extracted and an on board water treatment unit removes other captured contaminants such as particulate matter.

A major advantage of fresh water scrubbers is the possibility to operate in a zero discharge mode which means that there is no effluent (waste product) from the scrubber discharged into the lake water. The treated, clean effluents would be held in a holding tank for discharge at an appropriate location while solid contaminants are disposed of at reception facilities in port.

“These are truly important vessels as they will set new standards for environmentally sustainable shipping on the Great Lakes and for cargo vessels in general. The Wärtsilä integrated scrubber solution removes more than 97 percent of sulphur oxides emissions,” says Juhani Hupli, Vice President, Ship Power Technology at Wärtsilä Ship Power.

“In addition to the environmental initiatives another key focus for Algoma’s fleet renewal process has been to reduce maintenance costs. Wärtsilä’s capability in providing both an integrated marine solution and global service support was a major reason Wärtsilä was selected to provide this comprehensive equipment package.” says Al Vanagas, Senior Vice President Technical, Algoma Central Corporation.

This process meets all the quality and monitoring requirements stipulated by the IMO. Wärtsilä is the first manufacturer to have been awarded a marine scrubber certificate by the classification societies Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, and Bureau Veritas.

More about Wärtsilä’s Fresh Water Scrubbers

Click here to view the embedded video.

The U.S. Flagged self unloading bulk carrier Joseph L Block. Photo: Boatnerd.com

CLEVELAND—More than 1,200 boilermakers, welders, electricians and other skilled craftsmen will be hard at work this winter maintaining and modernizing U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters when they lay up between late December and mid-January.  The major U.S.-flag operators will invest more than $75 million in their 56 vessels so the fleet will be ready to replenish stockpiles of iron ore, coal, cement, salt and limestone when shipping resumes next March.

The work scheduled for this winter is as varied as the cargos the fleet carries.  Eight vessels will be drydocked for the out-of-water survey of the hull the Coast Guard requires every 5 years.  Huge concrete blocks are positioned in precise locations in the dry dock and the vessel gently settles on them as the water is pumped out of the chamber.  Coast Guard inspectors then scour the hull for signs of any unusual wear and if any is found, order the steel replaced.

Although a study has determined that Great Lakes freighters produce 70 percent less emissions than trains and 90 percent less than trucks in moving a ton of cargo, that ratio will only get better with a number of main and auxiliary engine upgrades scheduled for this winter.

The industry’s commitment to reducing the potential that lakers’ ballast might spread a non-indigenous species introduced by an oceangoing vessel is evidenced by a number of vessels being fitted with high ballast water intakes.  Traditionally vessels take on and discharge ballast water through seachests, as many as 18, located close to the bottom of the hull.  High ballast water intakes not only reduce the potential that a fish or other living organism will be drawn in, they lessen the amount of sediment taken up with ballast water.

Other projects include renewal of steel in cargo holds, replacement of conveyor belts in unloading systems, upgrades of communication and navigation equipment, and overhauls of galleys.

The major shipyards on the Lakes are located in Sturgeon Bay and Superior, Wisconsin; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Toledo, Ohio.  Smaller “top-side” repair operations are located in Cleveland, Ohio; Escanaba, Michigan; Buffalo, New York; and several cities in Michigan.  It is estimated that a vessel generates $800,000 in economic activity in the community in which it is wintering.

Sub-freezing temperatures aren’t the only challenge facing Great Lakes shipyards and their craftsmen.  Many vessels lay-up right after the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, close on January 15, and get underway when the locks reopen on March 25.  That leaves but nine weeks to prepare the vessels for 9-plus months of 24/7 operation.

For a few vessels, the winter lay-up is even shorter.  The JOSEPH L. BLOCK, for example, often loads iron ore in Escanaba, Michigan, for deliverey to Indiana Harbor, Indiana, until the end of January and then opens that trade around March 10.

Worn steel and other materials are recycled as much as possible, but in what might be something of a first, one job is going to help heat homes this winter.  The entire wear deck on a barge is being replaced and the 75,000 board feet of oak lumber that must be removed will then fuel wood-burning furnaces.

When the fleet returns to service next spring, it will welcome a new 740-foot-long self-unloader.  The as-yet unnamed barge is nearing completion at the shipyard in Erie, Pennsylvania.  It will be able to carry nearly 38,000 tons of cargo each trip.  Also joining the fleet will be an integrated tug/barge unit that previously worked the Gulf.

When the economy is strong, the U.S.-flag Lakes fleet will carry more than 115 million tons of cargo per year.  Iron ore for steel production is the largest commodity – 50 million tons.  Roughly half of the country’s steelmaking capacity is located in the Great Lakes basin.  Cargos of coal for power generation and limestone and cement for the construction industry can collectively top 50 million tons.  Other cargos include salt to de-ice wintry roads, sand for industrial production, and cereal grains.

About Lake Carriers’ Association

Lake Carriers’ Association represents 17 American companies that operate 56 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes and carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy: iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, aggregate and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation….  Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 115 million tons of cargo per year when high water offsets lack of adequate dredging.  Those cargos support more than 103,000 jobs with an average wage of $47,000.  More information is available at www.lcaships.com.

Today marks the 36th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the Great Lakes freighter that sank in a strong gale on eastern Lake Superior resulting in the loss of all 29 of its crew.  Today, the November 10, 1975 sinking remains the Great Lakes regions most famous and mysterious maritime disaster.  To learn more about her story, just listen above to the lyrics in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Another good writeup can be found at failure magazine, HERE.

Do any Great Lakes guys remember her sinking?  We’d like to hear your stories in the comments section below.

Photo taken aboard American Steamship Company's, American Fortitude, by Chief Engineer Bill Heitman.

New Study Looks At The Economic Impacts of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System

CLEVELAND—Cargo hauled on the Great Lakes in U.S.-flag vessels is responsible for more than 103,000 jobs in the United States that pay an average wage of $47,000 finds a comprehensive study released today. The report, a year in the making, further determined the value of economic output tied to those cargos topped $20 billion in 2010. Federal, state and local taxes totaled more than $2.2 billion.

“The value of U.S.-flag Lakes shipping has never before been so well illustrated,” said James H.I. Weakley, President of Lake Carriers’ Association, the trade association that represents U.S.-flag vessel operators on the Lakes. “These facts and figures will help us fight for our fair share of federal dredging dollars, a second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, renewal and expansion of the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet, and other needs that will determine if those jobs stay and grow, or whither and go.”

The study, titled The Economic Impacts of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, was commissioned by several members of the Great Lakes shipping community, LCA included, in partnership with the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation in Washington, DC, and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Martin Associates of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, performed the analysis.

U.S.-flag ―lakers‖ haul raw materials: iron ore for steel production, coal for power generation, limestone and cement for the construction industry, as well as salt, sand, grain, and other dry- and liquid bulk cargos. In total, there are about 65 large U.S.-flag self-propelled vessels and tug/barge units. In a boom economy, the U.S.-flag Lakes fleet can haul upwards of 115 million tons of cargo over the course of the shipping season.

Weakley noted that using 2010 as the base year for the study actually reduced the contributions of U.S.-flag shipping. “Like the economy in general, U.S.-flag shipping on the Lakes has yet to fully recover from the recession. In 2010, five of LCA’s vessels never sailed and other vessels sailed less than full seasons. Five ships have remained idle this year. When the fleet is back to full strength, the job count and economic benefits will increase noticeably.”

Since Indiana is the largest steel-making state, it boasts the most jobs tied to U.S.-flag shipping – 39,903. Michigan follows with 23,485, but Ohio is close behind – 23,334. The “Wolverine state” is the capital of the Lakes’ limestone and cement trades; the ―Buckeye State‖ is the second-largest steel producer in the U.S.

Wisconsin jobs tied to U.S.-flag Lakes shipping total 5,589. The ―Badger State‖ is home to three shipyards.

Illinois’ 5,356 jobs reflect the concentration of heavy manufacturing along the southern shore of Lake Michigan.

Minnesota is home to the Mesabi iron range and many of the state’s 4,309 jobs are associated with mining taconite that is shipped in U.S.-flag lakers to steel mills.

With just a very short shoreline on Lake Erie, Pennsylvania has only one port, Erie, on the Great Lakes, but U.S.-flag cargos still generate more than 750 jobs. Western New York gains more than 300 jobs from U.S.-flag Lakes shipping.

The system-wide impacts of Great Lakes shipping in vessels of all flags are equally impressive: 227,000 jobs in the U.S. and Canada; $54 billion in annual personal income, business revenue, and local purchases; and $4.6 billion in federal, state/provincial, and local taxes.

STUDY (PDF): The Economic Impacts of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System

Source: Lake Carriers’ Association

Under the new agreement, both parties have agreed to extend the current contract through – at a minimum – the end of the 2011 Great Lakes shipping season, and the assurance that both sides will be able to reach a successor agreement come 2012.

AMO National President, Tom Bethel, said in a statement posted to the AMO website, “AMO and ASC are now confident and committed to reaching an agreement prior to the beginning of the 2012 operating season – an agreement that ensures the job and benefit security of AMO members and addresses the company’s competitive needs.”

The strike started on August 1 when AMO members working for the Great Lakes operator walked off all ASC vessels, forcing ASC to cease operations.

Pictured: ASC vessel M/V Buffalo courtesy ASC

AMO National President Tom Bethel criticized ASC in a statement posted to AMO’s website.  “This strike is the result of American Steamship’s Company refusal to negotiate in good faith, or even present a proposal that recognizes the professionalism of the AMO officers and stewards and their value to a company that operates very profitably with AMO onboard its ships” he said.

“When asked for a final offer, ASC presented AMO members with a proposal that would cut 14 jobs arbitrarily, give the company the ability to eliminate a total of 56 jobs, and would fail to fund the medical, retirement and training benefits of AMO officers,” Bethel continued.  He even went as far as accusing ASC representatives of boarding ships and offering captains “an escalating series of bribes.”

Meanwhile, ASC President, David W. Foster, fired back in the company’s own statement, saying “ASC made every effort to engage in constructive negotiations with the AMO, but the AMO refused to participate in this process.”

“Our goal has been to reach a fair and equitable agreement with our licensed crew members that allows ASC to become more competitive on the Great Lakes,” Foster added.

We’ll just have to wait and see how negotiations play out, but ASC is already talking about contingency plans for 2012 if it, well, doesn’t.

“If the labor situation continues unresolved, we will work towards being able to operate our full contingent of vessels in 2012 with other qualified crew members” said ASC’s David Foster.

[Pictured: ASC vessel M/V Buffalo courtesy ASC]

One reason the fleet performed so strongly was demand for iron ore necessitated extending the season through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan by three days. The January 18 closing allowed U.S.-flag lakers to carry an extra 380,000 tons of iron ore. The three extra days of navigation also allowed 90,000 tons of coal to move on the Lakes.

Not all of the additional tons moved during the extension. Some of the cargos were loaded on January 13 and 14. These cargos would not have moved had the locks closed on January 15. With winter in full swing, the vessels might have been delayed by weather and/or ice and unable to reach the locks by midnight January 15. The extension provided enough leeway that the cargos could be loaded.

(c) Lake Carriers’ Association

The largest increase came in iron ore cargos for the steel industry. Shipments in U.S. bottoms totaled 42 million tons, an increase of 75 percent compared to 2009. Again, however, the rebound has to be put in perspective. In 2009 iron ore shipments from ports fell to their lowest level since 1938.

Coal cargos carried in U.S.-flag hulls totaled 21.5 million tons, an increase of 4.1 percent compared to 2009, but fell short of the trade’s 5-year average by almost 13 percent.

Shipments of limestone (aggregate and fluxstone) totaled 20.4 million tons, an increase of 19.6 percent over 2009. However, the 2010 total was nearly 18 below the trade’s 5-year average.

Cement cargos slipped by about 80,000 tons. Salt loadings increased by 130,000 tons. Sand cargos dipped slightly, and grain loadings were a virtual repeat of 2009.

Lake Carriers’ Association represents 18 American companies that operate 55 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes that carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy: iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, aggregate and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation…. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 115 million tons of cargo per year when high water offsets lack of adequate dredging.

Source: Lake Carriers’ Association

In order to maximize the usefulness of the study, MARAD is hosting three stakeholder listening-sessions in the Great Lakes region. The three “town-hall” style hearings are an opportunity for the Maritime Administration to ask the Great Lakes vessel operators, port operators, shippers, and environmental groups about the issues facing them and how the administration can assist in addressing those issues.

The agenda will be the same for each of the three public hearings and will include the following topics:

General Environmental Constraints (Air Emissions, Ballast Water, etc.)
Market Needs and Emerging Trends (Routes, Cargoes, etc.)
Ships and Shipping (Condition, Utilization, Technology, etc.)
Shore Facilities and Infrastructure (Condition, Utilization, Capacity, etc.)

Click here for Federal Register Notice:

Hearings Schedule

Meeting 1: Cleveland, OH
February 15, 2011
8:30AM—5:00PM
Hyatt Regency Cleveland at The Arcade
420 East Superior Avenue,
Cleveland, Ohio, USA 44114
Registration begins 8:00 AM
Persons interested in attending the meeting should register by February 4, 2011

Meeting 2: Duluth, MN
February 23, 2011
8:30AM—5:00PM
The Inn on Lake Superior
350 Canal Park Drive Duluth, Minnesota
Registration begins 8:00 AM

Meeting 3: Chicago, IL
February 25, 2011
8:30AM—5:00PM
Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers
301 East North Water Street Chicago, Illinois
Registration begins 8:00 AM
Persons interested in attending the Duluth and Chicago meetings should register by February 11, 2011

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Shafer
Maritime Administration Office of Policy and Plans
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590
e-mail: GreatLakesStudy@dot.gov

[Via Marad]

The J.W. Westcott II, owned and operatd by the J.W. Westcott Company based in Detroit Michigan, is a 45-foot-long tugboat that acts as a USPS contracted mail courier, delivering mail and other packages to vessels while underway.

In order to get your mail delivered to your ship, first you must be in the vicinity of the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit, MI with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada, and simply have your mail delivered to (Vessel Name), Marine Post Office, Detroit, Michigan 48222 where it will then be brought to your vessel for delivery.

Interestingly enough, the zip code, 48222, is actually assigned to the boat itself.  Not the headquarters or any specific piece of land for that matter.

Has anyone ever heard of or actually used this service before?

UPDATE: Since writing this we’ve recieved number of emails and comments (see below) with regards to the J.W. Westcott Company.  In fact, just today I received a nice message from a Cadet at Great Lakes Maritime Academy and I thought I’d post it here for all to read:

I’m a Cadet at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy and we had several cadets receive mail aboard our Training ship the T/S State of Michigan last summer on their 2 month cruise.

Also have a friend sailing as an OS with Great Lakes Fleet on the Roger Blough who will probably get some christmas presents on the way back to Duluth, MN, since he will be on for the next 5 weeks.

Its a nice service for the guys running on the lakes to get some packages from home easily.

During the holiday it’s especially hard to be away from home and such a simple service as this makes being away that much easier.