RESERVE Backs Out

RESERVE finished unloading at the Mounfort Terminal at 0800 this morning and then backed out of the harbor. The RESERVE, which had sat almost perpendicular to the channel while unloading, backed away from the dock and slowly out of the channel, turning at the outer buoys at 0930 and heading up the lake to Calcite, where she had also loaded her previous cargo. The RESERVE is only the second vessel I've ever seen back out of Erie. In March 2000 the JAMES R. BARKER, departing her layup berth at Metro Machine, backed out of the West Slip and through the channel due to adverse ice conditions on Presque Isle Bay.

Today in Erie History- Forty Years Ago

March 29, 1967- Litton Industries, based in Beverly Hills, California, announces that Erie has beat out Lorain, Ohio for its proposed ultramodern Great Lakes shipyard capable of building 1000 foot long vessels. This yard will ultimately turn out the STEWART J. CORT and PRESQUE ISLE. Although Litton's Erie Marine yard only lasts until the mid 1970s, after which the yard will lay dormant for the next decade, their yard withstands many changes on Erie's bayfront over the coming years and remains a shipyard despite many proposals to turn it into a marine museum and home for the Brig NIAGARA. The Port Authority property, beginning in the late 1980s, is home to the Jonathan Corporation, Erie Marine Enterprises, and Metro Machine. Currently the yard hosts Erie Shipbuilding, the first post-Litton tenant to actually bring shipbuilding back to Erie.

Click here to read the Erie Daily Times article from March 29, 1967, about Litton's announcement. (PDF- 3.5 MB).

Lakeshore's New Barge

It appears that Lakeshore Towing has purchased a small new deck barge. Towboats FLATTOP and DON HENRY were docking the barge at Wolverine Marina, operated by Lakeshore, at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday. I'm not sure what the deal is with the barge, but it looks to be almost new, if not brand new.



Today in Erie Shipping History:

December 29, 1997: LOUIS R. DESMARAIS of the Canada Steamship Lines Fleet becomes the last Canadian vessel to winter in Erie, arriving at 1300 hours for the Metro Machine Yard. Metro Machine used to operate the facility now run by Erie Shipbuilding. This would be the second winter in a row that the DESMARAIS had wintered in Erie. The previous winter she had laid up on December 28, with her fleetmates JEAN PARISIEN (now CSL ASSINIBOINE) and MANITOULIN (now scrapped) arriving December 25 and 26, respectively. The DESMARAIS currently sails as CSL LAURENTIEN.