MADONNA CONSTRUCTI0N - 37.0

Capt. Joel Gunnlaugsson with Fincantieri
Senior Project Supervisor Steve Propsom, upon
return to port after sea trials.  Broom signifies
a "clean sweep", the satisfaction of
requirements for U. S. Coast Guard Certificate
of Inspection.  (Purinton photos in all cases)

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

Having been absent here for a few weeks in reporting on construction, during which time the christening took place at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, we're now back to continue the story, with particulars of where the new ferry Madonna stands in terms of finishing and delivery.

First, we need to update statements regarding the steering system, because the first assessment for remedy didn't prove out.

One of many details added in the past weeks:
a step for crew to reach and tie mooring lines.

During Builder's Trials, a test run of the vessel's systems, its engines, electronics, etc., it was discovered that steering responsiveness seemed to lessen over time.  Greater revolution of the pilot house helm was required to move the rudder just a few degrees. The cause was determined to be hydraulic oil heating and thinning with longer running time time.  The probable fix appeared to be reduction of heating by means of installing a lower volume output hydraulic pump, and by enlarging the diameter of the piping from pump/reservoir to pilot house and to the steering rams back aft, a rather long run with many angles and turns in the piping.

Fincantieri pipe fitters began work right away and installed larger inside diameter piping.  But as for a lower output, CAT engine-compatible hydraulic pump, none was found in the marketplace.  Instead, a flow valve was installed, along with an oil cooler (fed by the same pump that flushes stern tubes). During a second Builder's Trial, performed two days ago on Monday, July 13, the steering seemed to perform well.

As can often happen with more time spent underway, a few more items also came to light, and they were highlighted on the punch list.

After Monday's successful underway trial, a second sea trial was then scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, this time with a U. S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment observer on board.   This sea trial fell almost exactly 1-1/2 months beyond the original estimated Madonna delivery date, a point of secondary importance to getting steering, as well as other vessel functions, to where they needed to be.

In this photo, you're looking up the ladder
that leads from engine room to main deck.

Madonna engine room has come a long way:
a complex space of piping, wiring and machinery,
but with room to move about.  A Bay Ship
mechanic can just be seen between generators,
monitoring fluids and temperatures.

Clean bilge; CAT engine control boxes;
bilge piping manifold beneath.  One example of
well-laid out, yet separate, systems.

We departed the Bay Shipbuilding slip at 10:00 a.m. and proceeded to the outer bay, with approximately a dozen yard personnel plus five Ferry Line representatives on board.

Enroute to sea trials, Madonna passed
Cason J. Calloway, inbound to Bay
Shipbuilding for repairs.

At the conclusion of several drills and with Joel Gunnlaugsson
at the wheel in the pilot house:
Rich Ellefson, Steve Propsom, Jeff Cornell, Dan Petersilka and
Hoyt Purinton.

By the time we reached Sherwood Point light, having passed port-to-port in the entrance channel the Cason J. Calloway, inbound to the shipyard for repairs, the Madonna's engines and fluids were warmed to anticipated operational temperatures.  Steering maneuvers, the shifting of generator loads, "crash stops" (full back while carrying typical forward momentum), a man overboard drill, and demonstration of good water pressure on main deck fire hydrants, were among items checked off during the several hours underway.  The sea trial was termed a success, and the number of items on the "to-do list" were trimmed even further.

A man overboard drill was conducted using a dummy
designed for such an evolution (approx. 150# with water
weight).  Shown:  Coast Guard observer Tom Hunninger,
Jeff Cornell, and Hoyt Purinton on bow ramp.

Another day or so will be used to tie up remaining loose ends, and to reconcile our standing with the Fincantieri yard regarding "who pays for what."  Those discussions may continue for some time, but a general understanding must be met in order to transfer ownership, and satisfy builder and owner product expectations, contractual items met, and with an appropriate USCG Certificate of Inspection forthcoming (like having a motor vehicle license plate, only with particulars of operation spelled out in detail).

A view of mezzanine cabin passenger seating.

When can we expect Madonna to be underway for Detroit Harbor?  Perhaps Friday.  We'll have to see.

  -  Dick Purinton

Upper deck passenger seating and pilot house.

NOTES ON FERRY CHRISTENINGS - PART #1

Madonna name boards ready to go,
in basement workshop. 

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

The act of christening a vessel is an ancient tradition, intended to bring good luck, safe voyages, and blessings to those who sail on board.

Not necessary?  Maybe...but who would like to take the chance?

Then, too, there is the awkward choice to go against tradition by denying a vessel to be properly christened, blessed and named.

For centuries this ceremony preceded the launch, a time when the vessel first transferred from land to sea.

Traditions change with the times.  The laying of a keel was once of great shipbuilding importance, not so many years ago, particularly in wooden shipbuilding when the keel member became the basis of construction.  Today's vessels - especially those made of steel or aluminum - can be constructed upside down and  in modules.  There is no recognized singular moment when a full-length keel is accomplished.  Instead, recognition has been given to the first cuts of plates and frames as a noteworthy start to construction.

Monday, June 29th, there will be a christening of the new Washington Island Ferry Line vessel Madonna.  This public recognition of the vessel's completion, and its given name (in this case, it will have religious connotations for the Mother of Jesus...but not for the Paul McCartney song, Lady Madonna, or for the pop singer from Bay City, Michigan, Madonna Louise Ciccone.)

This new ferry's name derives from the schooner of the same name, built by an Irishman, Aylward, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1871.  Quite certainly he took the name in reference to the Holy Mother of Jesus. Not just any "My Lady" but the Lady.

One intended reference in the christening of our Madonna will be a tip of the hat to Ole Christiansen, Norwegian immigrant, and his schooner of the same name.  He bought the shooter from Aylward in 1894.  As a merchant vessel, Christiansen's schooner carried commercial products, lumber and potatoes mostly, between Detroit Harbor and other Lake Michigan ports.

In order to properly honor Ole Christiansen and the original Madonna, we asked his family if they could nominate a representative to perform the christening.  We received a "Yes" from Sarah Maines-Bandiera of British Columbia, in early March.

Certain hurdles needed to be overcome, including setting a date when the ferry might be finished and ready to christen.   After it would be launched, delivered and then moored in Detroit Harbor, it would await christening before placement into regular service.  That was tentatively planned for the end of May, or early June, so we hoped.

Then Covid-19 came along and it no longer seemed prudent to plan a public christening event, or to ask Sarah to travel a long distance for a short ceremony.  Pandemic travel rules created more hurdles.  We both agreed to reconsider, and instead we named Sarah as our Honorary Guest for the christening.  Then we began looking closer to home for another candidate who might perform the christening.  (The name of our stand-in will soon be publicly revealed.)

Sarah Maines-Bandiera, great granddaughter of Ole
Christiansen, graciously accepted our offer to christen
the new Madonna...until the pandemic made that an 
improbable plan. (photo by Sarah)

There is also the matter of finishing this vessel completely, to the required and agreed upon standards, fit for service and acceptable to the U. S. Coast Guard federal guidelines and owner expectations.

As the weeks passed by in spring, the estimated delivery date was pushed further back into June.  This later date wasn't of great concern to us, because we wanted the vessel to be right and not rushed or lacking in completeness.

Here we are on June 23, with a soft "maybe" for sea trials later this week.  Current status centers around a steering glitch: three steering options under two, completely separate, systems.  It is complicated, and not easily resolved.  The answer may require more parts (and expertise), with lead time in order to rectify.

One way or another, whether the ferry Madonna comes home this coming week or not, we will join Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding workforce Monday in a combination ceremony.

There will be two parts to this event:  one will be to recognize the Bay Shipbuilding workforce for their achievement in turning out a great product, the ferry Madonna, that will sail in these local waters for the next half-century or more.  The second will be to christen this vessel, a formal, prescribed occasion in which we ask for God's blessings on this vessel, its crew, passengers and cargo in years to come.

Sprinkled throughout this blog and one to follow we'll post a number of photos recounting christening events for Washington Island Ferry Line vessels.

A synopsis of past WIFL christening events

The first ferry built and launched for WIFL, Arni and Carl Richter owners, was the Griffin, built at Krauss Kraft in Kewaunee, Wisconsin in 1946.  I've never come across a christening photo for this ferry, only pre-launch snapshots of owner Arni Richter standing on the shore with the Griffin in the background.  I believe Mary Richter had a hand in naming this ferry, as she was an avid follower of local history.

Then in 1950 the C. G. Richter, named for Carl Godfrey Richter, was built by the Sturgeon Bay Ship Building and Dry Dock yard. (This yard property was taken up 20 years by Bay Shipbuilding Corporation in 1970.)  Just prior to the C. G. Richter launch, cousins Carol Richter and Jeannie Leasum shared christening honors.

1950 christening of C. G. Richter prior to launch:
(top)  Maggie and Carl Richter; Carol Richter and 
Jeannie Leasum; Arni and Mary Richter; Margaret Leasum; 
Em andPaul Richter.  (unknown photographer / WIFL files)

Ten years later, in 1960, on nearly the same waterfrontage in Sturgeon Bay, Richter twins Adele and Estelle did the honors for the new ferry Voyageur.  A professional photographer (perhaps Herb Reynolds) captured the moment the champagne bottle smashed against the bow, prior to launch, a classic in WIFL "christening annals." As far as we know, only family members, and perhaps a few friends, were on hand for this occasion.  The Voyageur was launched following the christening that day.  It would be weeks before the ferry was finished, at homeport, and ready for operation.

Adele (L) and Estelle Richter performed the Voyageur
christening at the SBSB & DD yard prior to launch
in 1960.  (Herb Reynolds / WIFL archives)

In 1970 WIFL shifted from a private christening ceremony in the shipyard on launch day to a public ceremony held at the ferry dock in Detroit Harbor, Washington Island.  The occasion that brought about this change was the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the first Icelanders coming to Washington Island.  The new ferry's name, Eyrarbakki, would draw attention to this Island's many familial ties with Iceland.  Gertrude Andersen, then 94, was considered the first child born here of Icelandic immigrant parents, and she broke the bottle that day.

Gertrude Andersen swinging bottle against 
king post of Eyrarbakki in 1970.

Special invited guests had connections with the Icelandic consul in Chicago.  Well water from Eyrarbakki, Iceland was flown for the christening, rather than using champagne. It was a meaningful day for the Island, and it was also a great day for Arni and Mary Richter who sought to expand and improve Washington Island's tourism through marketing.  This Iceland tie was both genuine and unique. (This year's plans were dashed by the Covid-19 pandemic, but we remind readers of that christening occasion, just as we now highlight the 150th Anniversary Celebration in 2020.)

Estelle Richter took this launch photo of Hull #709 at
the Manitowoc Corp. Bay Shipbuilding yard in
1970.  This vessel was among the first to be
completed by the Bay Ship yard after the move
to Sturgeon Bay from Manitowoc.

The acceleration in tourism traffic would soon include fishing boats on trailers, motor homes, and larger vehicles in general - vans and pickup trucks - and the timing seemed right in 1979 to build a new ferry with increased dimensions over the Eyrarbakki of 1970.  Arni fondly looked at the photos of vessels sailed as ferries by Robert Noble across Sturgeon Bay, and he decided to name the new ferry for that first mechanically propelled ferry in Door County, Robert Noble.  Of course, there was also the unforgettable story of the struggle of Noble who tried to cross the Door at the onset of winter in 1863, and who lost his fingers and lower legs to frostbite.

The new Robert Noble was completed at Peterson Builders, Inc., ion June of 1979, and it heralded a  shift to a different builder, due in part to the building boom in large bulk carriers being constructed at the Manitowoc Bay Shipbuilding yard.  They had no more building room, and no need for a small ferry contract, whereas PBI was just winding down naval contracts and was open to general commercial work.

Harrison Noble, in his early 90s, spoke before
christening the ferry named for his uncle, Robert.
(photographer not known.  WIFL files)

The ferry came home to Detroit Harbor in early June for the christening.  After a bit of sleuthing, we located Robert's nephew, Harrison Noble, a retired County Agent in his early 90s, who lived in the Stevens Point area.  Harrison came to Washington Island, and he became the first male to christen one of our ferries, the new 90-foot Robert Noble.

Arni Richter, Ferry Line president, with
author on day of christening in 1979.

Light drizzle fell, but despite uncooperative weather that day, dozens of people turned out to witness the occasion.  A photo was taken of guests gathered that afternoon on the main deck, looking upward toward the speaker, and it provides a real challenge to the memory.  Naming as many people as possible in the crowd is a fun activity. (I'll add that photo when I find it!)

Mary and Arni Richter are between Mert Dedecker,
Mary's sister, and Bob Thompson of Tim Graul
Marine Design, naval architects for the
Washington.  (Arni Orman photo)

We'll take one more event before breaking the story into a second part.

Peterson Builders was awarded the contract for another new ferry, launched in 1989.  The Washington would be larger in deck and passenger capacity than any previous WIFL ferry, a fact that remains true today for automobile loads of a certain mix.

She's not a winter ferry, as she doesn't have the necessary structure or power for ice breaking, but it has been used more and more into late fall-to-freeze-up, and again in early spring.

This ferry was launched in late April, and it arrived on the Island in early June.   Our daughter, Evy, at age 13, christened the new ferry that year.  One of the notable events that day was the Boy Scout Troop from Maplewood, under scoutmaster  Dennis LeFevre, that led the Pledge of Allegiance that day.

Boy Scout troop from Maplewood led guests in
the Pledge of Allegiance prior to the christening.
(Al Belz Jr. photo)

That christening crowd was the largest to date, with many people onboard, on the pier, and a few in their boats nearby.  The weather was beautiful.  Congressman Toby Roth of Appleton, who was good friends with Islander Sarah Magnusson, sat next to her that day, on folding chairs set up on the main deck.

Evy Purinton broke the champagne bottle
against the Washington's kingpost in 1989.
Future ferry captain, Town Chair, County
Board Supervisor and father of four,
Joel Gunnlaugsson, stands in middle
background.
(photographer unknown)

In another seven years, PBI would be out of business.  It would be a number of years after that before the level of seasonal ferry traffic, our need for a new winter replacement ferry, and our ability to handle the cost of a more expensive ice breaking vessel, would converge to a point where a new ferry contract would be signed in 2002.

(To be continued...).  Dick Purinton  

MADONNA - UNDERWAY - 36.0

Madonna underway off the stone quarry, outer bay,
during builder's trial, Friday afternoon, June 19.
(Photo by Erich Pfeifer)

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

After long days of chasing down and correcting details, some small, some large, Rich Ellefson reported that Madonna would sail from the dock for the first time.  This would be the "builder's trial" in which various components and equipment would be tried and tested, including running main engines up to temperature while various systems were monitored.   Apparently things went well (or, I just didn't hear about the glitches!).

Bay Ship and Ferry Line representatives gathered for
briefing on main deck prior to leaving pier, and again
upon their return dockside.  (Hoyt Purinton)

Hoyt Purinton, Erik Foss, Joel Gunnlaugsson and Jeff Cornell joined Rich for the day, their first opportunity to see and experience the vessel underway.  A few photos are shown here of the Bay Shipbuilding and WIFL crew members in conference, and on the bridge.   With a few more days' work, the vessel could be ready for U. S. Coast Guard sea trials by mid-week.

Ferry line captains Jeff Cornell, Erik Foss, Rich Ellefson
and Joel Gunnlaugsson on upper deck.

Christening plans

In a departure from christening of the last several ferries, a ceremony will take place within the shipyard, with members of the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding workforce present, along with a few invited guests.

We'll hold details of the christening back a few more days as we reflect back on other ferries and the christening ceremonies that took place, both at the shipyard and here on Washington Island, when the public was invited to take part in the festivities.

A few panels and wires yet to be made permanent,
but the pilot house was functional for builder's trial.
(Hoyt Purinton)

Several reasons led to our decision to hold the christening at the shipyard.  One, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding wishes to recognize its workforce for a job well-done on a product that will sail in their "backyard," so to speak.  We will join the yard management in offering our thanks, and congratulations for a job well done.  A substantial amount of pride has been evident in workers who participated in this vessel construction, intended for Door County service, what could easily be 4-5 decades or more of continuous use for ferry transportation.  This occasion also highlights the importance of shipbuilding to the area's economy, and the contribution building such a vessel adds to Door County and the region.  Another reason for holding the christening within the shipyard confines is that with Covid-19 as a threat to public health it becomes easier to hold the christening in a controlled setting.  All participants will be asked to wear a mask (the Bay Ship workforce has been doing this for five weeks or more).

In wheelhouse:  WIFL construction supervisor and vice-president Rich Ellefson
with Steve Propsom, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Senior Project Supervisor.
(Hoyt Purinton photo)

We'll provide more detail in a few days' time.  -  Dick Purinton

LET'S LEAVE JANUARY BEHIND

     Detroit Harbor, Washington Island  - A snowstorm blew through the upper Great Lakes Monday, driven by 30-40 mph winds.  Because of drifting, snow amounts were hard to estimate, but I'll guess we received around ten inches, some of it lake effect snow picked up by the southerly flow.  Monday's midday temperature was eight degrees, and that made being outdoors for any length of time a miserable experience, although you wouldn't know it from the expression of ferry captains Joel Gunnlaugsson and Erik Foss.  I waited on the pier as they walked toward me, to the AJR after lunch in the ferry terminal, and it was hard just to see them, given the blizzard in progress.

 
By webcam that morning, I observed the ferry at Northport, the loading of Mann's grocery truck and the mail van and one other car.  Most vehicle reservations resulted in either cancellations or no-shows.  Now, at 12:45, smiling despite crummy conditions, Joel and Erik posed long enough for me to take their photo before starting up the engines and preparing for their second run of the day.  On this trip they would carry the U. S. mail van and one car with passengers.  Other reservations, understandably, had once again cancelled.  Joel said that he heard that the hill on Hwy. 42 in south Sister Bay was closed, at least to truck traffic.

Summer is a picnic by comparison, for both passengers and ferry crew, working in shirtsleeves in mostly pleasant conditions.  I asked how the ice conditions were in the Door and inside the breakwater.  "Slush ice partway through the Door," Joel answered.

"Was it hard to turn around inside the break wall, given the strong southeast winds and ice, as it appeared on the webcam?"

"Not bad," Erik said. "We made the turn in one swing."

They would have another opportunity in the coming hour to do it again, this time bringing FedEx and UPS packages back home, but probably not much else.

School closed on the Island Monday, as they did in most of northeastern Wisconsin, but the Island school reopened for one day, Tuesday. This turned out to be a brief back-to-normal school day, while road crews and shovelers worked to clean up the previous day's mess.

However, Wednesday's forecast for below zero temperatures closed schools once again, and it discouraged travelers.  The same held for this Thursday morning, when our thermometer read -18 F.



This turned out to be our coldest morning so far, and as of noon the temperature was still in the minus column.  Social and community activities cancelled once again.  Some Door County schools remained closed during the entire week.

Despite this cold air, we anticipate mid-30s by the weekend, even rain, perhaps, in some locations.  That would be a shame, since there's decent snow cover now, and winter outdoor enthusiasts have earned the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors after withstanding days of harsh weather to reach this point.

While I waited for the 1:00 p.m. ferry to depart, I noted the ingenuity of Kenny Koyen who moors his gill net tug Seediver in the adjacent ferry slip.  Winter mooring lines become frozen, and knots are almost impossible to untie.  But with this clever arrangement, the dock line is spared chaffing, and the line can be cast off by slipping the stick from the loop.

  - Dick Purinton

JANUARY CROSSING 2017

This shot may look as though it was tweaked by photo-shopping, but not so.
Tim Graul took this photo at Northport Saturday, Jan. 7, after several days
of high winds added successive layers of frozen spray to the ferry's bow.

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

During the past month, we've had a mix:   mild weather; high winds and cold temperatures; a good snow cover of nearly a foot; then rain on top of fresh snow, followed a few hours later by plunging temperatures.   A bit of just about everything.

But, it's cold enough that the harbors and the bay have finally frozen over.  In just a week or so, most of upper Green Bay has seen sheets of ice, and this has changed the ferry operations for the better.  Prior to this week, the absence of ice led to freezing spray and icing on decks, enough so that a week ago only the morning ferry trip was made using the AJR.  The crew went to work trying to remove as much ice as possible, and as the wind subsided a bit, trips were resumed the following morning using the Robert Noble.   By afternoon, with the Island channel becoming choked with ice, the Arni J. Richter resumed operations.  It looks as though this will be the ferry for operations for the next several months.

Joel Gunnlaugsson on deck of Arni J. Richter at Northport Pier.
(Graul photo)

The absence of ice makes it easier, but only when there are moderate winds and temperatures.  Joel Gunnlaugsson is shown in on deck holding a long bar used for knocking away ice, but also for prying open the frozen bow ramp.   Those photos were taken by retired naval architect and designer of the Arni J. Richter, Tim Graul, who happened to take an afternoon ride up the peninsula to our Northport dock, where he found the ferry loaded and ready to depart.

This morning I rode the ferry to check on the work progress at the Northport terminal building.  I decided this might also be a good opportunity to take photos and video along the way.  The ice had built up considerably in the days since Saturday's crossing.  A field of 4-to-6 inch ice slid against the tripod legs Tuesday morning and created an ice shove, according to Erik Foss.  A good photographic opportunity, he suggested, after asking why there haven't been new blogs lately.

I used my iPhone camera to obtain video, which worked quite well.  But because the air temperature was only 14 degrees, it shut down on me shortly after passing the entrance light. As we headed into a stretch of open water on the back side of Plum Island, I headed for the engine room to warm and restart my phone.

The second purpose of my trip, to document the work being done at Northport, commenced when I centered the two fiberglass porta potties in my camera lens, in front of the terminal building.  It was a shot I hoped would get the message across for viewers of this blog, that public toilets in the building were no longer in service (in fact, they are no longer there!).  As I was about to snap this photo, the toilet door on the left opened slightly and a woman peeked out to find my camera trained in her direction.

No, I hadn't intended to take her photo as she exited the toilet, I said.  I was concerned she might get entirely the wrong idea.  While I awkwardly stumbled over my words of apology and took the photo of the pair of toilets with the terminal building in the background, as I had planned, another lady opened the door of the second unit.  Too late!

Yes, they said, the facilities lacked heat, and no, I didn't stick around to find out their names or where they were from (their husbands waited near their car, across the driveway.)

So, if anyone should wonder, these outdoor toilets are in working order (filled with anti-freeze, I assume) and they are placed there for use by the construction workers and the general public.  But my recommendation is that if you're traveling to or from Washington Island, then please consider using the toilets on the ferry when the opportunity presents itself.

As for construction progress, the former Northport restaurant kitchen is now framed in and well along to becoming space for the men's and women's toilets. A utility closest is nearby.   The newly enlarged lobby opens to the Visitor Information Center in two wide openings that will have glass doors.   The finished product is rather hard to feature or appreciate at this point, but workmen are actively remodeling this space so that in several months' time it can be reopened for the busier travel season.  In the meantime, your patience is appreciated.

Back on the Island

Several smaller, but important, projects have been taken on by the ferry crew.  In the office area, Con McDonald is refitting overhead flourescent lighting with LED lighting for energy savings.

Rows of many, small LED lights within a clear, plastic housing replaces the old fixture,
 a filament bulb that was screwed into a socket of the former masthead light housing.

On the Eyrarbakki, Joel is engaged with installing new LED navigational lights, along with a new lighting panel.  As required, the new lights, which look dramatically different from the ones they replace, incandescent bulb style-lighting, will also have a back-up feature, both in power source and in the bulbs themselves, should the primary set for some reason fail.

A century ago or less, many vessels had kerosene lamps behind magnification lenses, eventually changing over to electric navigational lights in brass and glass housing.  Moulded plastic housings eventually replaced the brass or steel housings, and so this step is just the latest in improved equipment. A new pilot house lighting control panel with a solid state board is being installed at the same time.

-  Dick Purinton

THIS IS CHRISTMAS...

Con McDonald, Hoyt Purinton and Joel Gunnlaugsson rehang
a tire where a mooring pipe (foreground) gave way earlier
this morning.  

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

The 'Santa's Sleigh' carrying a timely shipment of UPS and FEDEX and U. S. Mail will make its appearance today, after all.

High winds during the night of the 23rd and into Christmas Eve day caused cancellation of the two morning ferries, and with it, passengers and freight anticipated to be ferried to the Island Thursday morning.

That delay in festivities will be resolved soon, when the afternoon ferries bring in the mail and freight packages delivered daily by UPS and FEDEX,  and more importantly, groceries and staples for Mann's Store.

I returned from a run to the grocery store for some salad greens. They were not to be found, because most such items were no longer in stock, purchased by those who plan ahead!   However, Jeff Mann suggested I come back around 3:30, after their grocery truck arrives and their shelves are once again stocked.  The Mann's Store truck is one of a number of vehicles backlogged from the morning's trip cancellations, until wind and seas settle down, allowing for resumed ferry crossing.

Swells from the WSW were strong, created by winds in excess of 40 mph reported during the night. A wicked sea found its way into Detroit Harbor, snapping ferry mooning lines and breaking off three mooring pipes.  The Washington, moored against the south side of the main dock, was the most vulnerable.    By 11:30, when the photo above was taken, most repairs had already been made, and the Washington was moved around to the end, ready for loading for a1:00pm departure.

Travelers waiting for a ferry to the Island were asked to be patient and to wait a bit on the Northport side of the crossing until trips resumed.  According to Janet Hanlin, who answered innumerable calls at the front desk of the Ferry Office, communications with the mainland weren't good, as the power was out for a period of time in certain peninsula locations.  

Joseph Block, rounding the sea buoy east of Pilot Island,
heading south against the lake seas.  The southern tip
of Detroit Island is at right, and view is looking across the
East Channel from the Sand Dunes Park, around noon today.

Earlier, around 10:00am, we watched from home with binoculars the white, breaking seas of the East Channel.  Several miles out in the lake, two vessels inched their way south through lake swells,  toward Porte des Morts and the relatively easier going to be encountered in the Bay of Green Bay.  The conning tower and mast of a tug could be seen, rolling its way toward the passage, seas breaking occasionally along its port side.

By 11:45, the ore carrier Joseph Block, which had been anchored, loaded, in the shelter of Washington Harbor, was observed heading eastbound through the Door toward a down-lake destination.  The Block reported dragging anchor as the wind came around westerly, prompting it to get underway.
   
Toward evening at our home, we're expecting a house full of relatives, young and old, and a few of whom we expect to arrive on one of the afternoon ferries.  Although we have no snow, a disappointment for some, air temperatures are still in the 30s, fine for most folks.  By nightfall, Christmas Eve will be observed once again across the land, as anticipated.

-   Dick Purinton

YEARS GO BY QUICKLY

Erik Foss turns 50 today!

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

The years go by quickly, especially when you're busy.

Erik Foss turns 50 today, a fact I had overlooked until his son, Christian, told me.  Where was his dad?  He was at work.  "He likes to work on his birthday," according to Christian.  Maybe working is intended to help this day pass more quickly, and not be reminded of the additional year.

During a "survival exercise" on the Arni J. Richter in 2004,
Erik helped adjust life vests on sons Doug and Christian.
Both boys have worked as crew during their summers in
recent years.

When looking at today's Ferry Line crew, there are many faces familiar to the public since their mid-teens.  Erik is one of those who rode in the pilot house and threw the mooring line to the spile as well as anyone, when he was still in junior high.  Official records kept for continuous employment show that Erik comes in a close second to Capt. Bill Jorgensen, who (like Erik) worked for the Ferry Line several summers before joining permanently in April of 1987.   There are many trips under the belt of these two captains, with Bill holding the unofficial record of having the most crossings of the Door, of anyone, with his long work record and many trips on the ferries each year.

It's fun to look back on the years as told in photos, so here are a selection of photos showing Erik, Bill, Joel Gunnlaugsson, Jeff Cornell and Rich Ellefson.  

I'm sorry I'm not able to date each photo with accuracy.  Time has a way of wiping out memory of the year without a date having been recorded.  Perhaps the people in the photos remember.

- Dick Purinton

Bill Jorgensen at helm of Voyageur,
around 1980-81.

Bill with son, Dale, in
wheelhouse of C.G. Richter.
(Year unknown)

Captain Rich Ellefson (year unknown),
now Ferry Line vice president and operations manager.

Captain Joel Gunnlaugsson (then summer crew 1993).   

Krista and Joel, before marriage, children, Town
government, County Board, etc. (1996)

Captain Jeff Cornell (year unknown) who operates
both Karfi to Rock Island and ferries to
Northport.

WINTER DOCK WORK

Detroit Harbor scene.  In foreground, the Standard Oil pier,
later Hansen Oil, and as of late 2014, Ferry Line north dock
Behind that is the former Cornell dock, now Island Outpost,
with Chris Andersen and his freight boat Wisconsin.
(photo taken in 1949 by Bob Williams)
In the background are several abandoned vessels in the shallows,
near what was the Chambers dock, now  the location of the Town's
launch ramps and the Island Clipper pier.

- Washington Island, Wisconsin

Like many waterfronts, Detroit Harbor changed over time, but many of those same appendages that were fishing or freight piers years ago remain in place, raised up and shored up over time as better materials and construction techniques, and capital to make improvements became available.

The dock in the foreground was owned at one time by Standard Oil.  It looks quite trim, capped with concrete, and it was used as a platform for unloading barrels of petroleum products, as well as transfer and other freight from the Anderson Transit's American Girl and barge Oil Queen.  (The Island Electric Co-op, with diesels placed into service in 1946, was using several hundred thousand gallons of diesel annually, and the Oil Queen helped to fill the tanks that kept those engines working.)

In the 1960s a good portion of the Standard Oil pier was enclosed with steel, with sheets driven outside the existing timber cribs.

Over time, the timbers that made up the old pier deteriorated, and so have the steel tie-backs and whaler supports that hold the sheets from tipping outward shown significant corrosion.  Much of the pier's interior wooden cribs and steel tie backs will need removal, or replacing, in a shoring up process designed to strengthen the dock before new fill and a concrete cap are added.

Detroit Harbor is frozen solid, and has been for the past
several weeks.   Here, Rich Ellefson and Joel Gunnlaugsson
are shown on the pier.   Several openings were made along
the pier face for examination of existing
dock structure.

Steel arrived Monday by semi, and work is now underway, much of it undertaken by ferry crew as a winter project.  So far, they've been favored with mild and sunny January weather.   Tom Jordan, Island contractor, has some of his equipment on site to help break up the old concrete cap into smaller pieces, eventually to be trucked away.  Mike Kahr of Death's Door Marine will bring a larger machine later today, for driving sheets into the bottom.   This is an ideal time of year to get this sort of work done, as all of it can be done from the existing pier structure - and of course, there are few, if any, onlookers to get underfoot.

Con McDonald (L) and Tully Ellefson
cut steel for new dock brackets to support
tire fenders.      

With mild weather and relatively modest winds, recent ferry crossings have been excellent.

Other than a few fishermen on weekends, traffic is made up primarily of service providers, suppliers and Islanders who need to travel back and forth.

-  Dick Purinton

FAT FLAKES, SLIM SUNSHINE

 A twofer -  Snowfall plus dredging, taken at 8:35 this morning.
According to the weatherman, we'll see some sunshine later today
as this patch of moisture heads to the northeast.

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

Following Monday's snowfall, which let up in the early afternoon, our temperatures turned colder on the northerly wind, dipping into and staying in the 20s for several days. But, we at least saw sunshine, to help brighten our mood.

Monday evening's moon was terrific, the so-called blood moon. (I had to take Mary Jo's word for this one, a spectacular eclipse seen around 3 a.m.).  I did manage to stay up Tuesday evening (9:30 p.m.) for the moonrise, the official full moon.  It couldn't be missed because its light reflected from the slick surface of the refrozen harbor, brightening up the landscape.

I thought of the second shift crew as they dredged, and how working that evening must have been quite pleasant, given the garbage they put up with in the prior 24 hours.  Made me think of that Van Morrison song, with a local variation: "We get it almost every night, And when that moon gets big and bright, It's supernatural delight, Everybody was dancing (digging) in the moonlight." Or, for you hipsters out there, "digging the moonlight."  (Make your own variations.  It will stick in your head through this day, guaranteed.)

Tuesday evening, moonrise over Snake Island.

Dredging production since the project really got rolling Sunday has been quite good, with only short lapses for movement of the rig, and a blown hydraulic line on the excavator.  Trucks have been pounding the pavement - not an exaggeration.

The roads over which the spoils are trucked have been taking a spring beating, laden with frost and moisture.  The roadbeds are not all that deep to begin with, and as on Lakeview, bedrock isn't far beneath the surface.  Gargantuan potholes have developed, and the Town has been working to fill them with gravel, about the only remedy at this point.

Two Door County Highway dump trucks came in on today's morning ferry, and I can see another in the Northport webcam in line for the ferry, in an attempt to stockpile material for maintaining the roads.  Motorists are advised to go slowly over these roads, warned sufficiently in advance by orange Caution signs.  The toll on island blacktop is always great this time of year, but we'll see even more as the ground is still oozing moisture.

This County Highway truck, wing plow still attached,
was one of two trucks bringing gravel to
the island this morning.  

Why must road gravel be imported to an island famous for stone?

According to Town Chairman Joel Gunnlaugsson, the recommended size of aggregate for road base is larger than that which the Town has on hand (and possibly less sand content).  It is presumed - although I didn't ask - that such costs will be reimbursed with road maintenance dollars identified for road resurfacing in the dredging project funding.

Currently, there is little to no ice in the ferry route.  The large field jammed against Plum Island acts as a stopper in the bottleneck for the time being.  Pieces of drift ice that were problems last week have been blown far enough down the lakeshore that digging has not been affected, even with a southerly flow of wind last night.  A wind shift to the west later today should help to keep the channel open.

Due to the presence of ice in the route, or the threat of it, the Arni J. Richter remains the only ferry operating these days because it can navigate in ice.  And because the ferry schedule of six trips are more or less back-to-back, with little breathing room between departures, special runs for flammables such as fuel must be made in the off-hours.  This was done last evening when two tankers, one for LP, one for gasoline, were transported to the island around 6:30 p.m.

Digging Wednesday evening, without the benefit of moonlight.

This spring's extended winter touches many and varied parts of the island's economy.   In "normal" years the transport of fishermen and boats and trailers,  and of seasonal homeowners who start opening up their cottages, helps jumpstart tourism revenues.   Lacking that influx this year, dredging operations provide a needed boost for many local businesses.

-  Dick Purinton