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Marine News - cont'd. Canada Steamship Lines' newest deep-sea self-unloader is now in service. The 74 7-foot CSL INNOVATOR, the former "Panamax" straight-decker (a) PACIFIC PEACE, (b) ATLANTIC HURON, was converted to a self-unloader at the Verolme do Brasil yard near Rio de Janeiro. She sailed from the yard on September 18, and proceeded to Ponta da Madeira to load a cargo of 60,514 tonnes of fines for delivery at Quebec by October 9th. From Quebec, she was scheduled to go to Sept I l es to load ore for Europe. CSL INNOVATOR is equipped with an arti culated unloading boom, the first ever placed aboard a ship. On September 9 , the F. O. B. Marine tug ANNIS LEE cleared Thunder Bay towing two 80-tonne oil tanks (each 12 by 18 metres) which formerly were at the nowclosed Husky Oil dock tank farm at the Lakehead. The tanks were to go down to Hamilton, having been purchased by Kermecho Company Ltd., Brampton. Unfor tunately, before the tow had progressed very far, heavy weather was encoun tered and, in eight-foot waves, one of the tanks broke loose. In order to en sure the safety of the tug, the second tank was deliberately set free, and the ANNIS LEE went to shelter behind Moss Island, 90 km. northeast of Thun der Bay. A helicopter later was sent out to search for the tanks, and located them on the shore of Longcroft Island, apparently with little damage. It ap pears that the tanks were easily retrieved, for ANNIS LEE was downbound at the Soo with one of them on October 6th. Early on October 9, the tug CHIPPEWA departed the Michigan Soo en route to South Chicago, where she was to pick up the former Inland Steel steamer L. E. BLOCK and tow her back to Escanaba. It will be recalled that the BLOCK, now owned by an Escanaba developer, had been chartered for use as a cement stor age hull at South Chicago. The ship, however, had sustained hull damage du ring her service in this capacity, and now has been returned to her owner. It had been planned to use L. E. BLOCK as part of an Escanaba harbour rede velopment project, and it remains to be seen what now will become of her. Our readers will, no doubt, be aware of the fact that U. S. S. NIAGARA, a sur vivor of the Battle of Lake Erie, where she was Perry's flagship, has been undergoing extensive restoration at Erie, Pennsylvania. The ceremonial re launching of NIAGARA's hull took place on September 10, which was the 175th anniversary of the Battle. A crane lifted her back into Presque Isle B a y ! NIAGARA was built in 1813 and has undergone several partial reconstructions in the intervening years. As reported last issue, the Marsh Engineering drydock at Ramey's Bend, Hum berstone, has been busy this autumn. Yet another unusual visitor to the dock was the Toronto Island passenger and auto ferry ONGIARA (II), which departed Toronto on October 11 under her own power. The long trip to the Marsh dock for survey and inspection was necessary because the McNamara drydock at Whit by now is closed. We are not certain why ONGIARA was not simply lifted out by the Toronto Harbour Commission heavy-lift crane "Atlas" in the Poison Street slip as on some past occasions, but the cross-lake trip allowed canalarea observers to see the boat in what we believe to be her first canal pas sage since her delivery trip from Owen Sound late in 1963. Interestingly, the day ONGIARA left Toronto was the first day of the winter ferry schedule, which the carferry usually holds down alone. In her place, the 53-year-old WILLIAM INGLIS remained in service, although in a windstorm she managed to punch out about half a dozen of the new windows that were put in her main cabin last autumn at Ramey's Bend. The new windows had been installed in an effort to avoid damage occasioned when the "tender" INGLIS drags against the hard rubber fenders at the Ward's Island dock in a northwest blow. On seve ral October days with heavy passenger loads or high winds, SAM McBRIDE was put in service in place of the INGLIS. It has been reported that the long-idle Ontonagon-built tug, which recently had been lying at Houghton, Michigan, awaiting a buyer and completion, has now been moved to the Wellington Towing Company wharf in the slip at the old Carbide Dock at the Michigan Soo. It will be interesting to see what becomes of her after all these years... * * * * *