Algoma-Niagara

The Detroit River’s Canadian shipping channel was closed on June 17, 2019, after the mooring ropes of the "Algoma Niagara", which was carrying 25,000 tons of gravel. snapped. Three mooring held the bow to a dock in Sandwich Town and broke around 4 a.m. The river’s current swung the ship 90 degrees into the channel, while the stern’s mooring lines remained attached to the dock. The captain dropped anchor to stop the movement close to the Kinder Morgan pipeline that carries ethane below the Detroit River, but the pipeline was not damaged during the incident. As a precaution, Kinder Morgan sealed and purged out the line. The vessel was blocking the shipping channel. One crew member was injured when the mooring lines broke. The captain first reported the incident to Transport Canada’s Ontario office in Sarnia, who then notified the Windsor Port Authority which immediately closed the Canadian side of the shipping channel to prevent collisions, and kept the channel closed for approximately 30 hours. During that time, the Windsor Port Authority coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard to route ships to the American side of the water. Two tugs were called and held the ship in place on June 18 while crews cut the anchor’s chain and lowered it to the riverbed. The Algoma Central Corporation would remove the anchor and chain as soon as possible. The tugs then maneuvered the ship back to its berth along Windsor’s shore near Prospect Avenue, where it was re-tied, and unloading of the gravel could commence. Once the channel was clear, the Windsor Port Authority reopened the shipping route’s Canadian side. Representatives from Transport Canada have been on scene to investigate the incident which may take several days. The bulkcarrier sailed from Detroit on June 19 at 5.20 a.m. and berthed in Sarnia at 11.20 a.m. Report with photos: https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/ship-incident-closes-canadian-shipping-route-on-detroit-river-for-30-hours

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation marked the opening of the Seaway’s 60th navigation season today, with the transit of the newly built Algoma Niagara through Lock 3 on the Welland Canal. State-of-the-art ships such as the Algoma Niagara serve as a key part of the supply chain serving to bolster the competitiveness of North American industry. Over 227,000 jobs are supported by cargo moving over the Great Lakes / Seaway System. More at https://www.marinelink.com/news/navigation-lawrence435762