Incorporated in the State of Michigan October 21, 1963 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vol. XXX, No. 6 www.lakehuronlore.com November / December, 2009 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Michelson ( Editor ) Membership (annual) - $14.00 (U.S. & Can. funds) 51805 D. W. Seaton Dr. Send to: Lake Huron Lore Marine Society New Baltimore, MI 48047-1460 P. O. Box 99 Ph: (586) 725-6276 Email: micheldr2005@yahoo.com Marysville, MI 48040-0099 Ph: (810) 982-9832 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DIRECTORS President - Fred Miller Secretary - Gareth McNabb Frank Frisk David Michelson V. President - John Coulter Treasurer - Theresa Miller Kenneth Niemi Andrew Severson Chris Tabor Gene Buel (Hon. Advisory Director) Paul Schmitt (Hon. Advisory Director) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOCIETY NEWS – ANNOUNCEMENTS Membership Renewal Dues for 2010 are now payable. Sadly, the rising costs of printing, postage and supplies have made it necessary to require an increase by two dollars. Dues will be now $16.00 for annual membership. Your Board of Directors have tried hard to control and curb costs where ever possible, but this year has been very difficult and resulted in deficit spending. This, despite all the labor to being strictly voluntary and many costs coming out of their pockets to cover the “gaps”. So, based on these facts, a straw vote was taken by the membership attending the last dinner meeting on October 17th to endorse a motion for a dues increase. It was overwhelmingly approved and the motion was taken to and passed by your Board at the meeting on November 17th. We hope you will understand and accept the increase as you continue to renew your membership! The first of the Fall dinner meetings was held Saturday. September 12th at the Museum. A total of 46 attended the meeting to see member Bob Campbell present a new program “Passage to Mackinac”. The program featured the sights and sounds of a long past era of steamship excursions to the Island. Bob puts together a great show and this one was no exception. The raffle collected 104 dollars. Our sincere thanks to Bob and all those who made this memorable evening possible. Our second dinner meeting of the season was held Saturday, October 17, 2009, 6pm at the Museum. A total of 54 were in attendance. The featured featured program of the evening “Ships of the St. Clair River” was presented by Ray Bawal and Constance Jerlecki . The raffle raised 96 dollars for the Society. An enjoyable evening was had by all. We wish to thank Ray and Constance for their diligent work in presenting this program and to all those who made this successful meeting possible.

The first annual “Whistles on the Water” event was held at Palmer Park in downtown St. Clair, Michiganon October 3rd. The Lake Huron Lore “Steam Team” brought down our improved apparatus from the Goodells fairgrounds and provided a demonstration of the vintage steam whistles. Despite some really awful weather, the event was a overwhelming success. A total of 61 whistles were brought collectors. Among the highlights were the salutes to the passing freighters PAUL R. TREGURTHA, OJIBWAY, and CHARLES M. BEEGHLY who graciously responded back to us. Ship whistles in attendance included: NORTH AMERICAN, SOUTH AMERICAN, COLUMBIA, SIDNEY E. SMITH JR., COMET, GLADIATOR, FRANK ROCKEFELLER, IMPERIAL LONDON, JOSEPH H. FRANTZ, and many others. An estimated 300 spectators viewed the activity in the course of the day. COMING EVENTS for 2010 - MARK YOUR CALENDARS Saturday, January 23, 2010, 7pm at the Museum, Slide night featuring the collection of Dick Duncan, NO dinner will be served, bring your own munchies. Saturday, March 27, 2010, 6pm at the Museum, first dinner meeting. Details to be announced in next newsletter. Saturday, May 8, 2010, 6pm at the Museum, second dinner meeting, Details to be announced. Saturday, June 5, 2010, 9am at the Seaway Terminal, Annual Marine Mart Saturday, August 14, 2010, HAMMOND BAY cruise from Sombra to Wallaceburg to attend “WAMBO” antique automobile, boat and fire truck show plus sightseeing along the way. Reservations limited to 40 so sign up early. Must have proper citizenship identification for crossing the border. More details on the website. Saturday, September 18, 2010, 6pm at the Museum, third dinner meeting, details to follow. Saturday, September 23, 2010, 11am at Palmer Park in St. Clair, MI, second annual ‘Whistles on the Water” Saturday, November 6, 2010, 6pm at the Museum, fourth dinner meeting, details to follow. _______________________________________________________________________________________

*** NAME THIS SHIP *** *See Answer on Page 11 *

-2-

________________________________________________________________________________________

CARL “BUTTSY” CRAMER

1929-2009

It is with deep regret that we report the passing of long-time member Carl Cramer, of Birmingham, Michigan, at the age of 80. For the many of you who had the privilege of knowing Carl as a friend, you knew of his love for the Great Lakes and especially the United States Coast Guard. He also possessed a vast knowledge of photographic equipment and techniques, and historical facts of his hometown of Marine City. Perhaps more impressive was the number of devoted friends from different circles who were brought together by him. This was evident by the diverse array of people who attended his funeral giving tribute to his life. Born in St. Clair, Michigan on September 1, 1929, he was the son of William and Florence (Wieneke) Cramer. His father was a well-known portrait photographer in Marine City who began his business there in 1920 by purchasing the famous Pesha Studio. He had one older brother Bill, who later went on to direct the St. Clair County Health Department for many years. The family lived in the small apartment facing the river that had been built over the studio. This riverfront home obviously had an impact on his life interests. In a town where almost everyone had a nickname, Carl was given his at an early age. Unfortunately, he had the distasteful habit of picking up and eating cigarette butts from the ground. They tagged him Buttsy and it stuck with him throughout his lifetime. Perhaps one of his missions was to promote this legacy, as each of his associates, doctors and close friends found their own humorous nicknames by him. As a very young man, Carl earned extra money by delivering telegrams for Postal and Western Union and came to know everyone in town. From ship captains to business owners to housewives, he knew them all and where they lived. He used this earned money to purchase a sailboat that he loved to use, skillfully tacking from shore to shore, up and down the St. Clair River frequently dodging the passing ships. In addition, he worked for his father in the photography business and learned a great deal that would serve him later in life. He graduated from Marine City High School in 1947 and immediately went to work as a coal-passer aboard the Pittsburgh Steamship Company bulk freighter RICHARD V. LINDABURY. This was his first great adventure for him having been away from home. It was hard, dirty work and the novelty soon wore off. This job was brief as by 1948 he enlisted in the Coast Guard. Carl’s career in the Coast Guard spanned 25 years, and included duties aboard the ice-breaker MACKINAW , the Lightship HURON , the Port Huron Station and the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. He had many friends and fond memories associated with each. He became a strong supporter, contributor and volunteer with each of these, but his main focus was with the Lightship.

-3-

He left the Coast Guard to pursue a second career in photographic equipment sales and consulting. It was there in 1964 that he met and soon married the real love of his life – Loretta. They settled on Melton Street in Birmingham and never left. They were a devoted couple for the next 40 years. Carl became well known and trusted in the photographic profession as the man with the answers. He retired from the business in 2003, and shortly thereafter lost the love of his life Loretta in 2004. Carl began to slow down, having to contend with five bouts of cancer that would eventually take his life. For those who were lucky enough to know him as a friend, he was “Buttsy”. He would continually call on the phone, send photos and news clippings, and other treasures to his friends. His knowledge of Marine City in the 1930’s was especially helpful to local historians. His generosity can be seen in many artifacts that were donated to the Lightship and other ship board improvements. He also will live on in the memory of those many friends who are richer for having known him. Semper Paratus, Buttsy !

Caught Through the Camera Lens

Louis Pesha

Louis Pesha would occasionally take his large camera and venture out onto the St. Clair River in a small boat to photograph a ship from a different perspective. This is the case with this fine view of the B. F. JONES shown while up bound in the River passing Marine City. The landmark Holy Cross Church can be seen in the background on the right hand side of this photo. It is truly remarkable and a tribute to his skill that he was able to achieve such quality photographs using his large, awkward, and primitive glass-plate camera in a small boat!

-4-

FOR THE BOOKSHELF: Great Additions to Your Marine Library

Final Voyage II: Ships Scrapped in Hamilton and Niagara, by Ron Beaupré and Skip Gillham; 2009;

LHL member and frequent contributor Skip Gillham in collaboration with noted marine historian Ron Beaupré offers a chronology of more than 300 vessels scrapped in Hamilton, Port Colborne, St. Catharines and Port Maitland, Ont., from 1936 to the present. It’s amazing to see how many vessels made their last trips to Hamilton and Niagara-area cutters. Many of the photos that illustrate this volume are rare, showing some of the vessels at the height of their careers, and others during the sad demolition process. Scrap yards include Stelco, United Metals and Marine Salvage, which among them cut up many a proud laker. “Final Voyage II” is a fitting memorial and highly recommended. 190 pages with photo of each vessel. $30.00 Available from Skip Gillham, 3750 King St., Vineland, ON L0R 2C0

A.B. McLean & Sons, by G.I. “Buck” Longhurst and E.B. “Skip” Gillham; 2009

Once again, LHL member, Skip Gillham has collaborated with another historian, this time Buck Longhurst to profile Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario’s A.B. McLean & Sons. The firm, founded by A.B. McLean in 1898 with the tug Seagull, operated until 1994, almost 100 years. In that time, the company operated dozens of tugs and barges, such as MISEFORD, EDWARD C. WHALEN, STRATHBOGIE, TWIN PORTS, T. F. NEWMAN, and more, all of which are profiled here. The excellent, and very rare, photos that are included make this volume a real treat, especially if you like tugs. 86 pages with many, many photos. $25.00 Available from Skip Gillham, 3750 King St., Vineland, ON L0R 2CO

Be Warned Folks - Winter is Coming!! This photo came by way of Dick Wicklund from the Van der Linden Collection at Acheson Ventures, shows the Gilchrist Steamship Company Vessels LAKE SHORE and CITY OF ROME battling the ice up bound at Mission Point in the St. Mary’s River in 1906. Original photo taken by Young, Lord and Rhodes. The LAKE SHORE is featured elsewhere in the issue.

-5-

From The Files – 15 years Ago……1994 by Cy Hudson November 6 The up bound Russian salty ADMIRAL USHAKOV bound for Ludington with a cargo of steel and magnesium lost power near the Blue Water Bridge and struck the seawall along the Thomas Edison Parkway on the Port Huron side just south of the bridge. The ship escaped the incident with only scrapings along her hull; unfortunately 150 feet of the seawall received extensive damage.

ADMIRAL USHAKOV down bound between Locks 2 and 3 on the Welland Canal on June 30, 1998 Photo by Jeff Cameron November 9 The tug JASON A. KADINGER sank in Lake Michigan about 7 miles off Fort Sheridan, WI. All the 3 crewmen were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter from the Glenview Naval Air Station. The crewmen were suffering from exhaustion, but otherwise were unharmed. November 24 Another Russian salty was having problems, the FASTOV lost power and struck the Shell Oil fuel dock at Corunna, below Sarnia and knocked a section of the dock into the St Clair River. After the incident the ship went to anchor on the US side of the river. After a few hours the FASTOV was allowed to continue her voyage to Green Bay, Wisconsin where the US Coast Guard investigated the incident. The damage to the Shell dock was estimated at $500,000, there was no environmental damage because the dock’s fuel lines remained intact. November 27 The Mackinaw Bridge was closed at 5.45 pm as wind speed reached 81 mph, a new record. The previous was 76 mph set on November 30, 1991. The bridge reopened at 12.27 am on Monday

-6-

December 8 At precisely 10.02 am., the tunnel boring machine Excalibore punched through a concrete wall and completed the second St Clair River rail tunnel between Sarnia and Port Huron, capping 13 months of tunneling that cost $200 million. December 14 It was announced that Detroit Edison will demolish the ‘Seven Sisters’ smokestacks of the Connors Creek Power Plant on the Detroit River. The stacks of the ‘Seven Sisters’ have long been a navigational landmark for ships down bound in Lake St Clair. Twenty Years Ago…..1989 November 5 The ferry DRUMMOND ISLANDER 3 arrived at the island to replace the ferry DRUMMOND ISLANDER 2 which was built in1961. The new ferry was built by Moss Point Marine Inc., at Pascagoula, Mississippi. The 4,500 mile voyage began on September 27 and the vessel encountered 2 gales, hurricane Hugo and a air-sea rescue off Prince Edward Island.

DRUMMOND ISLANDER at dock in Detour, Michigan Editor’s Collection November 13 The USS DEFENDER cleared Marinette, Wisconsin for Little Creek, Virginia. She is one of the 14 minesweepers that are being built at Marinette Marine and at Peterson Builders at Sturgeon bay. The wooden minesweepers are 224 feet long and will replace ships that were built in the 1950’s. December 4 The U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender MESQUITE (WLB – 305) and under the command of Lt. Com. J.R. Lynch went aground near the Keweenaw Peninsular off Copper Harbor. The MESQUITE, usually based at Charlevoix, Michigan was working in Lake Superior as a replacement for the SUNDEW, which was down for maintenance. The MESQUITE had just removed a buoy and was pulling away from the area when she grounded on Pinnacle Rock. The grounding opened a hole in the engine room which was quickly flooded, the ship took a slight list to port, then settled solidly on the rocks. The 2 lake pilots onboard the Indian freighter MENGAL DESAI, assisted Captain Pohonerkar in answering the MESQUITE’s distress call. All 53 crewmen were taken aboard the DESAI, and only 3 were injured in the grounding.

-7-

MESQUITE shown docked in Toledo in 1989 Photo by Jim Hoffman December 8 Captain S.V. Pohonenkar of the MENGAL DESAI was honored by the U.S. Coast Guard in Duluth for assisting in the rescue of the MESQUITE’s crew. The Canadian Coast Guard reported 30 foot seas and force 12 winds during a storm blowing in the lower Gulf of the St. Lawrence. The crew of the container ship CAPITAINE TORRES, of Vanatua Islands registry bound for Taiwan abandoned ship in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Heavy seas caused the cargo of containers to shift. The Canadian Coast Guard responded to her distress calls and found 2 life rafts, but no survivors of the 23 crewmen. She had passed down the Welland Canal on December 1st. A distress call was also received from another saltie, the JOHANNA B. of Panamanian registry out bound from Sorel to New Orleans with a cargo of pig iron, but no trace of the vessel or crew of 16 was found. In the same storm that sank the TORRES and JOHANNA B. the barge CAPT. EDWARD V. SMITH, ex ADAM E. CORNELIUS broke free from her tug ARCTIC NANOOK off Gaspe Peninsula.. By December 13th she had drifted helplessly for 5 days and was headed for shore when her anchor finally held. The tug was able to get a line secured and they got underway for Souris, Prince Edward Island. December 11 The weekend storms on Lake Superior pounded the MESQUITE into a total wreck. Seas of up to 10 feet cracked her hull, toppled her mast and broke her rudder off. A ruptured fuel tank is now leaking oil into the lake. Efforts continued to remove all the fuel oil from the wreck, as well as all salvageable gear.

-8-

Bluewater Passages By Dick Wicklund TWIN SISTERS Joseph C. Gilchrist was born in Port Huron in 1850, and grew up in Marine City. At a young age he worked in the shipyard there, which included selling apples to sailors to earn money for his family. At sixteen in 1866 he shipped out as a deckhand on a schooner, beginning his career on the Great Lakes. However it was cut short by a shipwreck off Alpena in 1872. He made a living by other means, then began a lumberyard in Vermilion, Ohio. The business was successful. His interest in the Lakes continued and he bought interest in various ships by 1880. His ownership of vessels culminated in the building of the Gilchrist steamer W. H. GILCHER in 1890. This ship was a twin to the WESTERN RESERVE of the Minch interests. These two all steel steamers were innovative, the biggest, and modern. But sadly each was lost in 1892 only months apart. Only one survived the WESTERN RESERVE, but all were lost on the GILCHER. However, under Joseph Gilchrist's ambitious leadership the company continued and his business grew to become the Gilchrist Transportation Company, incorporated in 1897. This independent fleet had a variety of vessels from schooner barges to wood and steel hulled steamers. From 1901 to 1907 the company had many modern steel ships built, which incurred large debts. In 1908 the company was reorganized, however it went into receivership in 1910, and liquidation in 1913. The fleet was not small: it had as much as 32 steel steamers, 25 wood steamers, and four barges during its history. This was the era of the dominance of the large steel corporation fleets of Bethlehem and U. S. Steel for example. Independent fleets like Gilchrist had to be willing to compete for any shipping these steel corporations could not carry. Independents like Wilson, Hutchinson, and Great Lakes Steamship would meet their demands, leaving a company like Gilchrist with large debts for new ships. During the period between 1901 and 1907 Gilchrist built many new vessels, like most shipping companies did during this time. Two twin sister ships were built in 1901 as part of this modernization and expansion. One had the name LAKE SHORE, and the other took the name GILCHRIST. The LAKE SHORE was hull number 602 launched in April, 1901 by the West Bay City Shipbuilding Company, West Bay City, Michigan. Hull 603 was launched a month after in May, 1901, taking the fleet name, GILCHRIST. Both ships were of the same overall length of 376 feet by 50 feet wide. These twin steamers were only two of about twenty-seven steel steamers built between 1901 and 1907 for the Gilchrist fleet. These vessels ranged in size from 300 to 500 feet in length. Including the LAKE SHORE and the GILCHRIST, an amazing eight ships were built for the fleet in 1901 alone! It should be added that Gilchrist bought, sold, and lost boats during this time also. However, to cut the cost of new ships the shipyards often built a twin vessel to the one ordered, then offered it for sale to the ordering company, or to another interested fleet. Therefore many of these new builds for Gilchrist were twins, which was the case with the GILCHRIST and the LAKE SHORE.

-9-

GILCHRIST up bound above the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, MI Photo by A. E. Young / Van der Linden Collection

LAKE SHORE up bound in the St. Clair River at Marine City Photo by Louis Pesha / Van derLinden Collection

-10-

With this burden of debt for new ships, and other problems, this troubled company began liquidating. 1913 was a big year in selling off its boats. The ships would go to other fleets, which included seventeen being sold to Interlake Steamship Company of Pickands Mather. The LAKE SHORE became the INDUS, and the GILCHRIST became the LUPUS. Following these two from Gilchrist were the renamed twins, the HYDRUS (1),and the ARGUS (1). These two twins would both founder in the Great 1913 Storm on Lake Huron in November, marring Interlake’s first year in shipping. However, would the INDUS and the LUPUS follow these two into the annals of Great Lakes shipwrecks? Indeed they would, but not in Interlake colors!

LUPUS up bound below the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, MI Photo by A. E. Young / Van der Linden Collection Answer to Name This Ship (Pg. 2) A. T. LOWMASTER (U.S. Tugboat) (Off. #255423) Built in 1948 at Newport News, Virginia by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company as Hull # 468. Hull: Steel, Length: 102 ft. Width: 28 ft. Depth: 14 ft. Gross Tonnage 260. Net Tonnage 114. Built for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company and engaged in the movement of cargo barges along the East Coast. Originally steam powered and later converted to diesel propulsion. Sold to the Great Lakes Barge Co. Ltd of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and came to the Great Lakes in 1975. Renamed WILFRED M. COHEN (Off. # 318428) Merged into fleet of A. B. McLean & Sons in 1981. Spent many years paired with the barge McALLISTER 132 in the transport of lumber products from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Windsor, Ontario. Sold to Purvis Marine Ltd. of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in 1994. Still in service.

-11-

INDUS up bound at Mission Point in the St. Mary’s River Photo by A. E. Young / Van der Linden Collection In 1926 Interlake sold four of its former Gilchrist ships to N. M. Paterson & Sons of Canada, which was greatly expanding into the shipping of grain. The INDUS and the LUPUS were part of this sale, along with the CEPHEUS, originally FRANK W. GILCHRIST, and the SIRIUS, Gilchrist's R. L. IRELAND. The four were renamed: CEPHEUS became MANTADOC (1), SIRIUS became ONTADOC (1), LUPUS became PRINDOC (1), and the INDUS became ALTADOC (1). MANTADOC and ONTADOC were twins built in 1903 at 436 feet long, and they would serve Paterson very well for 37 and 44 years respectively. Would the smaller twin sisters, ALTADOC (1), and PRINDOC (1) survive as long? Of course the answer is no. The ALTADOC (1) almost completed her second season with Paterson when a Lake Superior storm battered her causing its steering gear to fail in the middle of the lake. Driven off course no mercy was shown to the vessel! It was driven very hard aground on the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula where it quickly broke in two on December 8, 1927. Eerily ALTADOC (1) grounded only about 500 feet from another ship, the CITY OF BANGOR which had met a similar fate almost exactly a year earlier in 1926. More importantly, however the twenty-five man crew was rescued. ALTADOC (1) met its end here, and along with its abandoned neighbor, both were left to the elements for over fifteen years until they were scrapped in place during World War II for their metal. ALTADOC’S bow deck cabins and pilot house were taken off and used for years as a gift shop in Copper Harbor until 1987 when it was destroyed by fire. A long sad ending for this ship! PRINDOC (1) likely sailed many times past the resting place of its twin sister for almost the next sixteen years. About the time the hulk of the ALTADOC (1) was being finally removed, PRINDOC (1) met its end suddenly. It had just left Fort William (now Thunder Bay, Ontario) with a load of grain heading into very dense fog. Off Passage Island just north of Isle Royale on June 1, 1943 the steamer BATTLEFORD of Canada Steamship Lines suddenly sliced into the PRINDOC! The twenty-two man crew quickly escaped, and this forty-two year old ship plunged into deep Lake Superior water! Interestingly, the PRINDOC (1)and ALTADOC (1) shipwrecks were only about sixty miles apart! Twin sisters indeed!

-12-

ALTADOC (1) shown wrecked at Copper Harbor, Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior Van der Linden Collection

Forward cabin of the ALTADOC (1) on shore at Copper Harbor, Michigan Van der Linden Collection

-13-

PRINDOC (1) up bound in the Detroit River near Belle Isle, Detroit, MI around 1940 Photo by William J. Taylor / Van der Linden Collection

BATTLEFORD taken after collision with the PRINDOC (1) Editor’s Collection .

-14-

ZENICA under tow of tug ATOMIC below Blue Water Bridge in 1969 Paul Michaels Photo / Author’s Collection It was forty years ago that the Yugoslavian freighter ZENICA ran aground at Poe Reef in the Straits of Mackinac. The ship was bound for Chicago with a mixed cargo when it stranded on July 20, 1969. After being lightered by the barge MARQUIS ROEN, ZENICA was released and towed down the lakes for repairs. ZENICA was built at Landskrona, Sweden, in 1952. Originally ILHEOS, the 352 foot long by 57 foot wide Swedish vessel was sold to Yugoslavian interests and renamed ZENICA in 1958. Beginning in 1960, the ship visited the Great Lakes on a regular basis. Various cargoes were handled including taking a load of synthetic rubber at Sarnia in May 1964. The ship also called at Bay City to load bagged beans on another occasion.

Later under the name ASSIMAKIS Michael Cassar Photo / Author’s Collection ZENICA made in the range of 30 trips through the Seaway but did not return under subsequent names. It was sold and became PEA I in 1972, ASSIMAKIS later that year, SKOPI and finally CONSTANZA both in 1976. Registry moved to Panama, Cyprus and finally Greece with these changes. CONSTANZA was anchored off Karachi on May 24, 1980, and was pulled ashore at Gadani Beach on June 1, 1980, to be broken up. -15-

ZENICA

*CALLIROE PATRONICOLA*

CALLIROE PATRONICOLA down bound in Welland Canal below Lock 1 Photo by Jeff Cameron Built in 1985 by Nippon Kokan K.K., Shimzu, Japan as Hull #422 Length - 599’ 9” Breadth - 75’ 11” Depth - 48’ 7” GRT - 17,879 M. Bulk Carrier Main Engine - 9,500 bhp Sulzer One of my favorite Japanese shipbuilding companies has been Nippon Kokan. Many of their ships have sailed on the Great Lakes. One such ship is the CALLIROE PATRONICOLA. I am not sure how many of this ship design were ever built but I do know that this ship design was also favored by Fednav. The only noticeable difference being in the design of the 4 deck cranes. I did and still do find this rather unusual as they appear to be yellow sticks on the deck of the Olympic built ships and a somewhat more standard designed crane on the Fednav ships. CALLIROE PATRONICOLA as long been a fixture on the lakes. Considering her age it is still good to see her sailing but the faded Olympic stack markings tells me she has put her better days behind her. She entered the lakes in 1985, the same year she was built. Over the years she has been chartered by a few different shipping companies and being a handy size ship she has been kept well employed over the years. Outside of missing a few years of being on the lakes during this decade she passed through this area frequently and fortunately incident free too. Her favorite destinations appeared to be Duluth, Thunder Bay, Burns Harbor and Cleveland. Fortunately she did make a visit to Sarnia back in December 1991 to Cargill elevators to take on a grain cargo. Originally CALLIROE PATRONICOLA was registered in Greece and her listed owners being Westwind Shipping Panama S.A.. When she returned to the lakes in 2007 her listed owners had been revised to Westwind Special Maritime Enterprises (ENE) but her registry remained unchanged. She has returned to the lakes again with a recent visit to Toronto and then on to Hamilton in July, she finally departed for Montreal on July 31. With any luck we might get a chance to see her pass through this area before the shipping season ends for 2009.

-16-