Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System

05 Feb

Crew seals generator space, contains fire aboard Lake Erie ATB

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On Dec. 30, 2024, about 1609, the articulated tug-barge Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder, with a crew of 16, was anchored in Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, when a fire broke out in the generator space of the barge Pathfinder. The crew sealed the space and released the vessel’s fixed gas fire extinguishing system, putting out the fire. There were no…

04 Feb

U.S.-flag shipping on Great Lakes down 8.9 percent in 2025

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) carried 71.3 million tons of cargo in 2025, an 8.9 percent decrease from a year ago, the Lake Carriers' Association reported. Cargo movement in 2025 on the Great Lakes was 8.1 percent below the fleet’s five-year average. Except for salt shipments, which increased by 4.1 percent, all commodity shipments decreased in 2025. Iron…

03 Feb

Study aims to boost cargo between Great Lakes, inland rivers

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsbrownwater, Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports

(WASHINGTON) — The American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA), including members Ports of Indiana, the Illinois International Port District (IIPD) and Port Milwaukee, in partnership with the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. (GLS), will begin a comprehensive market analysis aimed at expanding cargo movement between the Great Lakes and inland waterways system. Together, the Great Lakes and inland…

14 Jan

Limestone trade down 5.9 percent last year on Great Lakes

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Limestone shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 26.6 million tons in 2025, a decrease of 5.9 percent compared to the previous year. Loadings in 2025 were below the trade’s five-year average by 6.7 percent. Shipments from U.S. quarries decreased 5 percent from 2024 to 21.7 million tons. Loadings from U.S. quarries were also 5 percent below their five-year…

12 Jan

Great Lakes iron ore trade down 12.8 percent in 2025

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 4.2 million tons in December, a decrease of 8.8 percent compared to 2024. Shipments were also below the five-year average for the month by 7.6 percent. The year-end total for the iron ore trade decreased by 12.8 percent to 43.4 million tons. Iron ore loadings for 2025 were down…

05 Jan

Icebreakers not keeping pace with winter on Great Lakes

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Icebreaking, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Winter may have started a little early this year on the Great Lakes, but neither the U.S. nor Canadian coast guards are keeping traffic moving through the ice, according to the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA). The U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) only heavy icebreaker, Mackinaw, has been missing in action along with several 140-foot icebreaking tugs and an ice-capable…

01 Dec

Bulker refloated after grounding in Detroit River in high winds

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(DETROIT) — A Canadian-flagged bulk carrier that ran aground Wednesday night in the Detroit River was refloated Thursday with the assistance of tugboats, local media reported. The bulker Robert S. Pierson, en route from Windsor, Ontario, to Lorain, Ohio, with 18,000 tons of stone, reportedly attempted to drop anchor Wednesday night due to strong winds in the area. The ship…

08 Sep

Weakley: Great Lakes icebreaker gap threatens U.S. maritime dominance

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Icebreakers

When Americans think of our coastlines, most picture the beaches of the Atlantic, the Pacific, or the Gulf. But the Great Lakes are America’s fourth coast – a 2,300-mile expanse reaching deep into the nation’s industrial heartland. Each year, this system moves more than 135 million tons of cargo worth over $26 billion, carrying the raw materials that power American…

01 Sep

Fuel leak after repair causes fire aboard Lake Erie bulker

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, shipping, TSB

(RICHMOND HILL, Ontario) — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report (M23C0104) into the engine room fire onboard the bulk carrier Cuyahoga. On May 23, 2023, Cuyahoga, loaded with granular crushed stone, left Marblehead, Ohio, bound for Kingsville, Ontario, on Lake Erie. Almost three hours into the voyage, a fire ignited in the engine room.…

19 Aug

U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain recognized as Great Lakes champion

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Icebreakers, Ports

(PORT HURON, Mich.) — On Monday, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., for her efforts advocating for the Great Lakes Navigation System and those who live and work on or near the Fourth Sea Coast. "It is an incredible honor to be recognized as Legislator of the Year by the Great Lakes Maritime…