Around the Circle This Week: Aug. 11, 2017

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Vessel runs aground in St. Marys River: The cargo ship Calumet ran aground on the north side of Sugar Island in the St. Marys River Wednesday night, halting commercial marine traffic through the Soo Locks, the U.S. Coast Guard reports. The 629-foot Calumet had departed, without cargo, from Algoma Inc. in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on its way to Brevort, Michigan, when it hit bottom just before midnight. No injuries were reported, and no signs of pollution found by two Coast Guard aerial surveys. The Calumet’s owner, Grand River Navigation, hired an oil-spill removal contractor to place a boom near the front of the vessel as a precaution. The company was developing a salvage plan to give to the Coast Guard. Contracted divers determined that the ship’s stern is structurally sound.

The St. Marys River, which links Lake Superior and Lake Huron, remained closed to commercial vessels from the Soo Locks to 6 Mile Point. The Coast Guard cutter Biscayne Bay was to arrive Friday afternoon to provide support, and a 45-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Sault Ste. Marie is monitoring the safety of the Calumet and any possible environmental impact. The cause of the grounding is being investigated. [UIPDATE: Vessel Refloated Friday evening.]

This is the second freighter grounding near Sault Ste. Marie in a little more than a year. In May 2016, the Roger Blough ran aground on Gros Cap Reefs, with no injuries, but causing $4.5 million in damage. The Duluth News Tribune detailed the National Transportation Safety Board's recently released review of that grounding and its likely cause. The Blough is part of the Great Lakes Fleet operated by Key Lakes Inc., based in Duluth. The U.S. Coast Guard plans its own investigation report about the incident.

Tragedy at Park Point: A father, 38, and his 10-year-old daughter from Wisconsin died Thursday in Duluth while swimming in rough Lake Superior waters off Park Point. The two were pulled from the 6- to 7-foot waves by emergency personnel during a search that lasted more than an hour amid large waves, according to  The Duluth News Tribune. One firefighter who took “in a lot of water” during the recovery was taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to Duluth Fire Department Assistant Chief Erik Simonson. At the beach house at Park Point, a red flag had been raised on the flagpole earlier in the day to warn of dangerous swimming conditions due to a high risk of rip currents; authorities recommended no one enter the water. There were no lifeguards on duty. These web links report current conditions at various Lake Superior beaches.

Winning the Trans Superior Race: A yacht from Illinois, the Il Mostro (Italian for “The Monster”) was first to finish the Trans Superior International Yacht Race on Monday morning, WDIO TV in Duluth reported. Il Mostro finished in one day, 21 hours, 38 minutes and 5 seconds, just over one hour in front of their biggest competitor. The Trans Superior started on Saturday near Gros Cap Light in Whitefish Bay, near Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It finished near the Duluth Ship Canal, with an official distance of 326 nautical miles.

Wisconsin updates erosion-control web page: The Wisconsin DNR has updated it erosion control webpage to detail tools and options for landowners and communities along Lake Michigan and Lake Superior to address problems of rising water levels and bluff failures. The site makes suggestions, offers ideas on finding and working with contractors and links to permitting procedures.

Boater survey for harbor safety: Minnesota Sea Grant is seeking help from boaters who use the Duluth-Superior harbor area to develop a better recreational boater safety guide for the Twin Ports and other Great Lakes working harbors. Whether boaters used the harbor only once, occasionally or frequently, their input is valuable. The survey is anonymous, ends August 24 and should take five to 10 minutes to complete.

Partnership to upgrade Scenic High Falls Park: The Municipality of Wawa, Brookfield Renewable and Rotary Club of Wawa have joined to revitalize Scenic High Falls Park, reports Soo Today. The project plans to upgrade the washrooms, pavilion and pathways and improve accessibility to viewing platforms and ramps. Scenic High Falls Park is one of the top destinations in Wawa, enjoyed by locals and tourists for picnics, to view the Magpie Scenic High Falls and to access the local section of the Voyageur Trail.

Cheers to Dubh Linn: Dubh Linn Brew Pub in Duluth has been named one of the “40 Best Whisky Bars in America” by Whisky Advocate magazine in its summer issue. Says the magazine:

This Irish brewpub claims the largest selection of whiskey in Minnesota, with an on-site nanobrewery to help wash them down. Create a customized flight from the beers on tap, sample whiskey in 1/2, 1, or 1 1⁄2-ounce pours, try a Guinness oat, or sip craft rum, gin, tequila, and absinthe while enjoying one of the dozen burgers. Local jazz legend Billy Barnard plays Thursday nights.

Dubh Linn’s Mike Maxim says the business is proud to be among the handful of bars picked for recognition in the Midwest and the only one in Minnesota.

To celebrate our achievement we have set up a whiskey education and dinner in early November with an international whiskey expert as our keynote speaker. We will have a celebration and award unveiling at the event, along with samples of some of our rarest private stock from our whiskey vault.

He notes that the Dubh Linn nanobrewery also recently entered its first beer competition, and brewmaster Seth Maxim’s Cherry Saison won a bronze medal at the Denver International Beer Competition. “The Cherry Saison is typically a summer seasonal, but Seth will be brewing up a special batch for our whiskey dinner and will showcase it at the event.”