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MARINE NEWS 2 . After several years of relative inactivity on the shipbreaking scene, 2002 has become a year of sadness and reflection for lake shipping enthusiasts as we have seen some very well known lake ships head to the knackers. The first to go was the Algoma Central Corp. 's steamer ALGOGULF (ii), (a) J. N. MCWAT­ TERS (ii) (91), (b) SCOTT MISENER (iv)(94), a 1961 product of Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal. Laid up at Hamilton since December of 1999, ALGOGULF was acquired by International Marine Salvage. She was towed from Hamilton on the morning of May 25 by the tugs PROGRESS and SEAHOUND and, after a weather delay, she started up the Welland Canal on the afternoon of the 26th, with VAC also assisting. ALGOGULF was at the IMS scrapyard at Port Colborne early on the morning of May 27th. The next to go was the 1927-built KINSMAN ENTERPRISE (ii), (a) HARRY COULBY (ii)(89), which PROGRESS and SEAHOUND towed from Buffalo to the IMS yard at Port Colborne on May 28th after they had dealt with the ALGOGULF tow. The ENTERPRISE, purchased by the Steinbrenner interests from the Interlake Steam­ ship Company in 1989, was owned by the Nicholas Transit Company and operated by Great Lakes Associates Inc., Rocky River, Ohio, until laid up at Buffalo late in 1995. The third lake scrap tow of the season began on June 10th, when the former N. M. Paterson & Sons Ltd. bulk carrier VANDOC (ii), (a) SIR DENYS LOWSON (79), which had been acquired by Purvis Marine Ltd. of the Canadian Soo, was taken away from the berth in the Kaministiquia River at Thunder Bay which she had occupied since December of 1991. Handling the tow was the Purvis tug RELIANCE, which only recently had been renamed from ATLANTIC CEDAR, assisted by POINT VALOUR. The tow arrived early on June 12th at the Algoma Steel export dock at the Soo, where Purvis soon began breaking up the ship, commencing at the stern. By August 13th, the VANDOC's steering gear had been removed and the main engines were to be removed within a few days. The scrap from VANDOC will be used by Algoma Steel. Following soon after VANDOC's departure was the former C. S. L. seIf-unloader MANITOULIN, which was sold to Turkish breakers after lying idle at Sorel since late in 2000. MANITOULIN was built by Davie Shipbuilding Ltd. at Lau­ zon in 1966, but was worn out by many years in the short-haul coal trade. MANITOULIN was towed away from her berth in the Richelieu River on June 11 by the tugs OMNI ST. LAURENT and ADVANTAGE, and once out in the St. Lawren­ ce, the tow was taken over by the Russian tug AKHTIAR for the trans-ocean tow. The buyer of MANITOULIN was identified as Donmez Metals, of Izmir, Tur­ key, although as yet we have no arrival date for the tow at the scrapyard. Then, on the evening of June 25th, the former Paterson QUEDOC (iii), idle at Thunder Bay with VANDOC since late in 1991, was towed out of the Kaministi­ quia and Mission Rivers by the Purvis tug AVENGER IV, assisted by POINT VA­ LOUR. The tow arrived at the Algoma Steel export dock at the Soo on June 27th. QUEDOC (iii) was built by Davie at Lauzon in 1965 as (a) BEAVERCLIFFE HALL (88). Although much of the vessel will go as scrap to the Algoma Steel furnaces, it is said that part of her hull may survive in non-transporta­ tion use. The next scrap tow began on the evening of August 15th, when the Russian tug AKHTIAR, assisted by Groupe Ocean's OCEAN HERCULE, towed CANADIAN VOYAGER, (a) BLACK BAY (94) away from Montreal, bound for Les Escoumins, where the AKHTIAR would take over the tow to the scrapyard of the VOYAGER's Turkish buyers. The ULS Corporation steamer, built at Collingwood in 1963, had been idle at Montreal since late in the 2001 season. Expected to depart Montreal shortly after the VOYAGER was the Algoma Central Corp. 's ALGORIVER, (a) JOHN A. FRANCE (ii)(94), built by Vickers at Montreal in 1960 and a sistership of ALGOGULF (ii). Also purchased by Turkish knack­ ers, ALGORIVER was to be towed to Turkey by the Panamanian tug SUHAILI. When this report was being written, it was expected that the ALGORIVER tow would depart Montreal during the week of August 19th.