Tug Ann-Marie Update

The following is a link from the Bay City Times. It includes a photo of the Ann-Marie after they brought her up, and a report on the clean up and investigation into the cause of the sinking.

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2010/12/crews_continue_to_clean_up_con.html

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone from Saginaw River Images

Tug Ann-Marie Update

With an earlier than expected approval of the salvage plan to raise the tug Ann-Marie, crews from Luedtke Engineering and Erickson's Crane and Rigging, began the process of bringing her to the surface, on Friday. After being stabilized and raised above the surface, crews used pumps to remove water from the Ann-Marie. She will remain at the Bay Aggregates slip while the US Coast Guard conducts thier investigation into why the tug sank.

Saginaw River Passages - December 15th

The tug Gregory J. Busch headed down the Saginaw River from her dock in Carrolton on Tuesday night, heading to assist the inbound Algoway make the North Star dock in Essexville. Ice conditions slowed the Algoway, but with the assistance from the Gregory J. Busch, she made the dock early Wednesday morning. After unloading through the afternoon, Algoway turned and begain heading for the lake, again with assistance from the Busch. Algoway was delayed by ice fishermen who would not move from the area of the shipping channel. They eventually all moved to a safe distance and Algoway was able to head for the lake around 5:30 Wednesday afternoon.

Update - Tug Ann Marie Sinking

Tug Ann-Marie resting on the bottom of the Bay Aggregates slip

Tug Ann-Marie at the Essrock Dock on the Saginaw River - December 3, 2010

Crews from Luedtke Engineering were on scene at Bay Aggregates today, assessing the situation with the sunken tug Ann-Marie. Divers were in the water at the Bay Aggregates slip, and the tug Kurt Luedtke brought Derrick Boat 16 down river from the old Defoe slip near Liberty Bridge. With assistance from the tug Karl Luedtke, the tug Kurt Luedtke was able to maneuver the derrick barge through the ice and into the Bay Aggregates slip in preparation for raising the Ann-Marie. Oil boom has been deployed in the slip to contain any oil or fuel that has escaped from the tug. The 71' tug Ann-Marie sank Monday morning while moored in the Bay Aggregates slip located on the Saginaw River, in Bay City.

Saginaw River Passage - December 8th

The Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. arrived on the Saginaw Bay on Monday, but went to anchor due to strong winds and unfavorable weather conditions. Wednesday morning, she tried her luck and started to make her way to the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville to unload coal. The McCarthy made it to just above the Front Range before becoming wedged in the ice and became unable to turn. The tug Karl Luedtke, in the area working on a dredging project, came to her aid and quickly freed the 1000' vessel. The Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. reached the Consumers dock and was unloading late Wednesday morning.

The U.S.C.G. Cutter Hollyhock was also on the Saginaw Bay, working aids to navigation, placing winter marks in the Entrance Channel. Hollyhock also assisted the McCarthy Wednesday evening by breaking up the ice so she could maneuver as she backed from the Consumers dock and out into the Saginaw Bay to turn at Light 12.

Saginaw River Passages - December 2nd & 3rd

The tug Olive L. Moore, and barge Lewis J. Kuber, were inbound the Saginaw River early Thursday morning with a split cargo. The pair lightered at the Wirt Stone dock in Bay City before continuing upriver to the Wirt Stone dock in Saginaw to finish. Maumee was inbound late Thursday, headed to the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee to unload. The Moore & Kuber were outbound for the lake early Friday morning after Maumee cleared them at the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee. Maumee was outbound Friday afternoon. Robert S. Pierson called on the Saginaw River Friday afternoon, calling on the the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City. She was expected to be outbound late Friday evening. This was the first trip of the season to the Saginaw River for the Pierson.

Saginaw River Passage - December 1st

The tug Olive L. Moore, and barge Lewis J. Kuber, arrived on the Saginaw River Monday afternoon carrying a split cargo. The pair lightered at the Bay City Wirt Stone dock before continuing upriver to finish at the Saginaw Wirt dock. The Moore & Kuber then turned at Sixth Street and were outbound for the lake early Tuesday morning.

End of November Report

Commercial shipping traffic on the Saginaw River remained stable in November, logging seventeen deliveries to local docks. This is the same number recorded over the month of November 2009. For the year to date, there have been 138 deliveries, down twenty from the same period last season.

Looking at longer term numbers, the seventeen passages in November are eight less than the six year average of twenty five. For the season to date, the 138 deliveries are down 89 from the six year average of 227.