NEW WEATHER BUOY DEPLOYED

This morning, a crew from Lakeshore Towing moved the company's barge 503 into the East Canal Basin to begin another day of work. Like most of the company's work, this work was designed to benefit the local boating community. Today's job, however, will have a particular impact on the local boating community.

Contracted to the Regional Science Consortium, tug LOW BIDDER and barge 503 were slated to load a new weather buoy for deployment off of Presque Isle to transmit weather data online. The data will be transmitted via cell phone and put on a website for accessibility to help boaters determine wind and wave conditions on Lake Erie. The buoy has been deployed almost in the Lake Carrier's Course, and is deployed at coordinates 42 11.141 N, 080 08.195 W. When functional the buoy will also feature a web camera.

The buoy was deployed around noon today and is now on station; it is now transmitting data.

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The weather buoy arrives.


Lakeshore Towing's crew prepares the buoy for lifting from the bed of the truck.


The excavator is moved into position.


Slings are locked into place on the excavator to lift the buoy.


Lifting.


The buoy is skillfully set down on the barge.


Attaching the top of the buoy, with all of the transmission equipment and the radar reflector.


LOW BIDDER backs the barge away from the dock.


Turning.


LOW BIDDER pushes the barge out of the East Canal basin.


USCG 45757 outbound the channel. 45757 is Station Erie's newest boat, one of the new 45-foot class of small boats being built for the Coast Guard.


Stern view. At this time it remains to be seen if this boat will replace 47241 as Erie's larger boat or if it just an additional boat for the Station.


US Customs & Border Protection Safe Boat 382907 is followed by smaller fleetmate, 332119, out of the channel.


Work on PRESQUE ISLE's starboard propeller is continuing and the vessel could potentially be departing later this week.


LOW BIDDER outbound.


Close up of the pushboat.


Stern view.

FRONTENAC Arrives, is Drydocked; WITTE 2301 Emerges

At 0745 this morning, Lakeshore Towing's tugs LOW BIDDER and DON HENRY, along with towboat TITAN, entered the graving dock at Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair and hooked up to newly built hopper barge WITTE 2301. A few minutes later, with DON HENRY on the stern and leading the tow, the trio emerged from the dock and moved the barge to the West Slip, moored across from McKEE SONS. By 0915 the tow was complete and the barge was moored at the dock.

FRONTENAC departed Nanticoke shortly before 1000 this morning after unloading taconite pellets and arrived in Erie at 1300. After a short stop at the Mountfort Terminal while the dock at Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair was prepared, FRONTENAC turned in the harbor and backed into the graving dock at 1530 today.

FRONTENAC's drydocking is different than the previous few drydockings at Donjon - VICTORY/JAMES L. KUBER, barge A-390 and THALASSA DESGAGNES have all been drydocked bow-in. This is the first drydocking done for FRONTENAC's owner, Canada Steamship Lines, in Erie since the winter of 1996-97 when MANITOULIN, JEAN PARISIEN, and LOUIS R. DESMARAIS were drydocked here. Of note, MANITOULIN has been scrapped and the other two vessels have been renamed since then; FRONTENAC, however, has carried the same name since being built in 1967.

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LOW BIDDER works WITTE 2301 west toward the slip in the rain this morning.


Coming around tug INVINCIBLE.


LOW BIDDER and DON HENRY line the WITTE 2301 up for the dock.


LOW BIDDER leading the tow.


WITTE 2301 is similar to the three hopper barges built for Sterling Equipment this summer.


Passing a mooring line to the dock.


DON HENRY holds the stern off the dock.


FRONTENAC inbound.


Another view between the piers.


This is believed to be 1967-built FRONTENAC's first visit ever to Erie.


The vessel is here for her five-year survey.


Passing the Coast Guard Station.


Stern view.


Approaching the Mountfort Terminal.


Close up.


FRONTENAC docks at the Mountfort Terminal.

FRIENDS GOOD WILL GOES AGROUND

This morning at 1105 FRIENDS GOOD WILL called on the radio requesting a tow after having gone aground in 7.5 feet of water in Presque Isle Bay. Lakeshore Towing Services quickly answered the call and immediately dispatched tug DON HENRY to the scene. DON HENRY hooked up and began pulling the vessel, which has a draft of 8.9 feet.

DON HENRY, however, made very little progress toward freeing the 55-ton sailing ship, and the decision was made to call for the company's other tugs, LOW BIDDER and FLATTOP. After all three tugs were on scene and hooked to the tow, FRIENDS GOOD WILL was easily pulled free of her grounded position and got underway for Dobbin's Landing. The passengers who had paid for a 90-minute sail got much more than they bargained for today.

LAKESHORE TOWING COMPLETES PURCHASE OF MARINE SERVICES OF ERIE

Lakeshore Towing Services announced today that they have completed the acquisition of the assets Marine Services of Erie in a deal that closed Wednesday. The deal includes a 26' foot tug, LOW BIDDER, a 50' crane barge, another crane and various other pieces of marine construction equipment.

The purchase allows Lakeshore Towing to expand its marine construction abilities by adding the new cranes and barge to the fleet. LOW BIDDER becomes the fifth vessel in Lakeshore's fleet, and the 50' crane barge becomes the fifth barge in the fleet.

After a minor refit, LOW BIDDER is expected to enter service almost immediately. The vessel will have its wheelhouse painted red while retaining its black hull. A name change is not expected for the vessel.

Lakeshore Towing is Erie's source for marine construction and marine towing. The company also runs Wolverine Park Marina and the fuel dock at Presque Isle Marina. Current projects include construction of a boat lift at Niagara Pier and work at Bay Harbor Marina. For more information on the company, visit their website.

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LOW BIDDER working on the Erie Water Authority intake cribs off of Beach 2 on October 13, 2008.


The purchased barge is shown working on that day.

Lakeshore Towing Services Awarded Conneaut Dredging Contract

Lakeshore Towing Services on Friday was awarded a major contract to dredge Conneaut, Ohio's harbor. The project, awarded by the Conneaut Port Authority, expected to keep crews busy for most of the fall, involves the removal of around 30,000 cubic yards of sediment from around the boat launch, marina, municipal pier, and a connecting channel in Conneaut harbor. Dredging of the main shipping channel in Conneaut harbor was just completed in September by Luedtke Engineering.

Lakeshore, which tentatively plans on using tug DON HENRY, towboat TITAN and barge 401 for the project, beat out two other bidders on this project. The company is currently finishing up a project to rehabilitate Erie's water intake cribs for the Erie Waterworks.

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Lakeshore tug DON HENRY, along with Marine Services of Erie's tug LOW BIDDER, working on the water intakes on Monday, October 13.


Another view. On this day, Lakeshore's barge 501 and Marine Services of Erie's crane barge were also involved, along with tug FLATTOP.


On this beautiful Monday Lakeshore's crews were busy setting concrete blocks.


Tug FLATTOP.


DON HENRY and LOW BIDDER.


Crane starts to lift another block from the deck of the barge 501.


Setting the block into the water.


The block slips under the surface.


LOW BIDDER moves away to shift the barges before setting another block.


Moving the barges.

CALUMET IN PORT

CALUMET, the first ship in port in more than three weeks, arrived in port this morning at 0330 with stone from Cedarville, mooring at the Old Ore Dock. The CALUMET unloaded throughout the night and into the rainy morning before departing at 1045 hours.

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CALUMET unloading this morning. Photos by Jim Thoreson.


With the J.S. St. JOHN in the foreground. The St. JOHN suffered an engine breakdown last week and on Wednesday morning was towed from the Mountfort Terminal to Old Ore Dock by Lakeshore Towing's tug DON HENRY and Marine Services of Erie's LOW BIDDER.


Backing away from the Ore Dock.


Outbound.

BOLAND ARRIVES IN PORT

JOHN J. BOLAND arrived in port this evening at 1915, docking at the Mountfort Terminal to unload 5,500 tons of stone from Cedarville. The BOLAND unloaded at the Mountfort Terminal until around 2100 this evening and is currently moving the the Old Ore Dock, where the rest of the cargo of more than 20,000 tons of stone will be unloaded. The BOLAND, if all goes well, should depart at around 0200 Wednesday morning.

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JOHN J. BOLAND passing the J.S. ST. JOHN off of Beach 10.


Inbound.


Another view.


Close up.


Stern view.


Another view.


Docking at the Mountfort Terminal.


Lakeshore Towing tug DON HENRY and Marine Services of Erie's LOW BIDDER bring Lakeshore's barge 501 inbound after working on the water intake cribs during the day.


Another view.


Stern view.