Jenny Lynn sinking Cheboygan Wrecks

[Brent]

The ex William Hoey returned to the bay this afternoon towing a smaller work boat. The ferry was anchored close to the Jenny Lynn. During a storm a couple months ago she dragger her anchor and grounded near the State Park. The fuel was removed a few weeks ago. I would have raised the Jenny Lynn with a couple crane barges and lifting slings to get the deck above water, then pump her out. The other option would be to partially sink a couple barges along side her. Run chains under the tug to the barges and pump out the barges. This should bring the tug up enough to tow her to shallow water and pump it out. the only problem is betting enough buoyancy to break the bottom suction.

[Jared]

They will have to use a few barges and a crane to lift her up. I do not know if her sister is called the Barbara Lynn, but she was just raised and destroyed in a storm because her salvager did not raise her right.

[sgrima]

I was up at the Cheboygan State Park this past summer and noticed the Bois Blanc ferry boat out in the bay. What is the story behind their grounding?

[Brent]

Still on the bottom. I heard that Air Bags were tried and didn't work, but I check every day and have seen nothing. If they don't get her out of there soon, she will spend the winter there. The ex William Hoey has disappeared from the Bay and river. She was in Mackinaw City for a day or so and was cruising the Bay for a couple hours after that. Since that I have't seen her. The Bois Blanc Iskand Ferry is still aground on the beach at Cheboygan State Oark.

[Timerover51]

Brent, has anything been happening with the Jenny Lynn salvage, or is she still on the bottom?

[Timerover51]

That is an extremely interesting video. When was it shot, and were you investigating if for the owner or salvage company?

[Guest]

[Brent]

I believe that the owner has arranged for and is paying the salvage bill. I was told that he is self insured but with the fines and such that he has from all the oil spills, he may be out of money. The two gentleman that we took off the Hoey said that they worked for the owner which leads me to believe that he is footing the bill for everything. I was also told that the owner was in the hospital, but that was about 6 weeks ago and haven't heard any thing more. I didn't see anyone removing the fuel from the Jenny Lynn. There were a couple drums of what I assume was lube oil on the tug and they were removed the first day. I also haven't heard what will become of the Jenny Lynn once the tug is raised. If someone doesn't get in there and start cleaning the engine and other machinery as soon as she is pumped out the engine will be pretty much scrap.

[Randy S]

didn't they remove the fuel from the Jenny Lynn right after she was discovered on the bottom?

[Timerover51]

I would agree with the problem of the ice doing a significant amount of damage to the ship. Was the Coast Guard the group that contracted with the salvage company, or the owner? If the owner, the salvage company might be making sure that they are going to be paid.

[Brent]

I was told that a local tow boat company had the contract and an approved salvage plan to raise the Jenny Lynn but that was about 6 weeks ago and so far no action. I don't think that the tug is moving any as she is pretty well sheltered where she is. My concern is that in the winter there is usually a foot or better of ice and that is going to take off the mast and the top of the pilot house. Today a contractor was removing the liquid load from the ferry, I assume in an effort to haul it off the beach. The ex William Hoey was back in the bay yesterday far a while and has since disappeared, as she is not anchored in the bay and is not in Mackinaw City.

[Timerover51]

The former Tug William Hoey was moved from Duncan Bay to the the Mackinaw City fuel dock Wednesday night. No one seems to be onboard and future plans are still unknown at this time. There has still been no work done on raising the Jenny Lynn.

Given the fact that the Jenny Lynn is in 16 feet of water with her pilot house showing, the clock is ticking very quickly to get her salvaged. If the wait until much longer, any bad weather from the northwest is going to continually pick the ship up and pound it against the bottom. If as a result, she breaks up, you are going to have a much larger mess to deal with.

Is there any indication that the Coast Guard is going to salvage the ship to prevent another and larger oil spill?

[Brent]

The former Tug William Hoey was moved from Duncan Bay to the the Mackinaw City fuel dock Wednesday night. No one seems to be onboard and future plans are still unknown at this time. There has still been no work done on raising the Jenny Lynn.

[Brent]

Still there. Don't know what they are waiting for. I will take and post pictures when the salvage begine.

[Timerover51]

Brent, has the tug been salvaged or is it still there?

[Brent]

I went by the bay this afternoon and there was a tug moored outboard on the William Hoey. Couldn't see the name. It is smaller then the Hoey, black hull and white deck house with a red stripe. It may have been one of the Ryba tugs by the colors,

[Brent]

It was on 9&10 News tonight that the Coast Guard has determined that the oil in Duncan Bay a couple weeks ago came from the Tug EX William Hoey. I assume that someone opened the wrong valve and pumped what appears to be bilge oil into the bay. The EX William Hoey and the Jenny Lynn both have had oil booms around them since the oil spill was reported. The Boise Blanc Island ferry that is owned by the same gentleman that owns the tugs remains aground at the Cheboygan State Park.

[Brent]

I would think that the salvage cost is well over the 20K he paid for the tug. He has to remove it under the Abandon Shipwreck Act. If he abandons her then the Govt-Corp of Engineers will remove it and sue him for the money it costs. I would think that the Jenny Lynn would be worth 20K if it ran. It can still be a useful tug as long as someone get it cleaned up as soon as it is salvaged, such as cleaning up the engine and electrical eqp.

[Howard]

I know that Scotland Stivers paid $20,000 for the Jenny Lynn back in July. I'm not sure what he paid Gaelic for the Wm. Hoey. I would think the salvage cost to raise and refloat the Jenny Lynn will exceed what Stivers has invested. Even if refloated, you would have a tug that is 94 years old to deal with that is in less than good working order. I know the boat, if it was me and I actually had a choice, I would have a very hard time justifying the expense. Obviously he has responsibility to remove it, not sure how high on the priority list that is.

[Brent]

The crew members we picked up were employed by the owner, a gentleman from Wisconsin. I was told that the Jenny Lynn was self insured, so I assume that the owner is paying the bill. I don't know what the salvage company is waiting on, but if I see someone involved I will ask. I would assume that they would want to get the Jenny Lynn out of there before the weather get worse and starts to get cold.