tobias cole wrote: June 10, 2026, 12:05 pm
Not generally in favor of waiving the Jones Act as American goods shipped to US ports should be carried on US bottoms.
But I understand there was a shortage of US coastal tankers supplying the New England states, this was due to market disruptions, and thus the waiver was granted.
We need, however, a robust re-creation of US shipyards too. Way too many closed. Revive the Brooklyn and Boston shipyards, and Philly too, both commercial and military.
Philly Ship is already active.
There are two major problems here. One is people who want to work in a shipyard building and or repairing ships. Two, finding people to crew these ships.
Not generally in favor of waiving the Jones Act as American goods shipped to US ports should be carried on US bottoms.
But I understand there was a shortage of US coastal tankers supplying the New England states, this was due to market disruptions, and thus the waiver was granted.
We need, however, a robust re-creation of US shipyards too. Way too many closed. Revive the Brooklyn and Boston shipyards, and Philly too, both commercial and military.
The Stenheim (Portugal Flag) loaded gasoline in Toledo on June 6, and is due to unload the Gasoline in Green Bay on June 8. Several more such trips are already planned.
Thanks to Mr. Link for the information, and to guest for the posts of 'The Scanner'. An enjoyable piece of history, especially since I shipkept in Toronto in 2016.
Mr Link wrote: May 21, 2026, 2:39 am
So it appears to have delivered a load of dolomitic limestone from Port Dolomite to a Canadian port, then picked up a load of trap rock in Bruce Mines for delivery to a US port.
Guest wrote: May 20, 2026, 4:08 pm
I see the Ontario Venture is in Detroit on the Rouge, and it came from Port Dolomite. Would this be under a Jones Act waiver?
Boatnerd's automated vessel passage page shows that it left Port Dolomite around 3:11 am on Saturday, May 16th, and was downbound at Marine City 10:30 pm on the same day (Saturday) showing a destination of Sombra.
Next noted upbound at Marine City at 7:04 am on Sunday, May 17th showing a destination of Bruce Mines.
Then inbound on the River Rouge 7:07 pm on Tuesday, May 19th.
So it appears to have delivered a load of dolomitic limestone from Port Dolomite to a Canadian port, then picked up a load of trap rock in Bruce Mines for delivery to a US port.
On 12 December 1941 Roosevelt issued Executive Order EO 8976, "Authorizing the Secretary of Commerce To Waive Compliance With the Navigation and Vessel Inspection Laws for War Purposes," which also put the Jone Act in abeyance for the duration. During the war this allowed Canadian lake vessels to haul ore or coal from and to American ports and American vessels to haul grain from and to Canadian ports, allowing much greater scheduling flexibility during the war emergency. The same occurred in 1950 under Truman during the Korean "police action."
I was on those trips on the Atlantic Superior The transfer loads were done at anchor off of Port Hawkesbury Nova Scotia
There was talk of doing the transfers in the Bahamas As far as I know none of the Norfolk coal ever went to Sept Isle
The Sept Isle transfers were done with coal that came from the lakes
We also did transfer with coal from Sydney NS to Port Hawkesbury
In December 1984, Groupe Desgagnes Inc., chartered the J. L. Mauthe to make an early trip the following Spring from Thunder Bay to Toronto as no Canadian ships were available so early in the season of the size required for Canada Malting Ltd. J. L. Mauthe was partially loaded with grain in Thunder Bay, wintered at that port, then in early April 1985 finished loading the remainder of the grain cargo and arrived at Toronto on April 8, 1985. The trip by the J.L. Mauthe between two Canadian ports required the approval of the federal government in Ottawa.
I do recall back in the late 1980s that Canada Steamship Lines filed a request for approval from the US government for their self-unloaders to load at Norfolk, VA and then top-off coal vessels that had loaded at that port within American waters. Due to the Jones Act, the request was denied, and Canadian Steamship Line self-unloaders instead topped-off coal vessels at Sept Isles, PQ.