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Marine News - c o n t 'd . 4. 15th, calling at Montreal, Prescott, Kingston, Toronto (on July 23rd), Putin-Bay, Windsor, Sarnia, Goderich, Tobermory, Midland, Parry Sound, Manitoulin Island, Mackinac Island, and Sault Ste. Marie. There have been interesting developments in the Port Weller Dry Docks labour dispute. Although the problems have not been resolved, Algoma Central Marine was finally able to extricate its ALGOGULF (II) from the graving dock and she was towed to Hamilton, where her repairs will be completed by its Fraser ship repair affiliate so that she can operate in 1995. After the departure of ALGOGULF, the ULS vessels GORDON C. LEITCH (II) and CANADIAN EXPLORER arrived at the shipyard. The EXPLORER was put up on the graving dock "shelf" and the LEITCH stern-in on the main drydock, and there they will be worked on during the winter by senior shipyard personnel. This activity would seem to indicate that the future of the Port Weller shipyard may not be quite as bleak as earlier anticipated. The relatively good weather experienced around the lakes late in the year allowed the lower canals to stay open somewhat longer than anticipated. We do not, at the time of this writing, have details on closing dates and last passages for the Welland or St. Lawrence canals, although we do know that the last salt-water ship in the system was MALINSKA, which cleared Port Weller at 9: 00 p. m. on Christmas Day. Barring unforeseen weather conditions, the canal at Sault Ste. Marie will remain open to traffic until January 15th. There were two groundings in the Detroit River during the autumn of 1994 that we have not previously mentioned. On November 14, the Algoma Central self-unloader ALGOWAY was approaching the Atwater Street dock in Detroit to unload a cargo of salt, she grounded short of the wharf. The G-tugs COLORADO and WISCONSIN were unable to free her, but ALGOWAY freed herself the follow ing day after part of her cargo was discharged into the ALGOMARINE. The, on November 16th, the Upper Lakes Towing Company's barge JOSEPH H. THOMPSON grounded while attempting to get into the LaFarge Cement dock to unload a cargo of limestone. Her tug, JOSEPH H. THOMPSON, JR., was unable to work her free but COLORADO and WISCONSIN got her afloat in relatively short order. We have not heard any reports of damage suffered in either grounding. Readers will recall our recent reports of the problems encountered by the Great Lakes Historical Society in maintaining the museum ship WILLIAM G. MATHER at Cleveland, and the Society's attempts to divest itself of the steamer unless a new dock lease could be negotiated with the City. Recently, another organization has come forward anonymously with an offer to fund the dock lease and operating expenses of the MATHER until April of 1995, so perhaps the MATHER has a future at Cleveland after all. The World Ship Society has recently reported thescrapping of two vessels of interest to our members. In its August newsletter, it noted that CITADEL HILL, (a) THORSDRAKE (75), (b) CAPE BRETON HIGHLANDER (80), (c) CANADIAN HIGHLANDER (83), the 1967-built self-unloader operated by the ULS organization on salt water, latterly under Vanuatu registry, was acquired by Indian Shipbreakers, and was anchored off Alang on May 3rd, 1994. Then, in October, the W . S. S. reported that FALCON CREST, (a) LABRADOC (II )(88), had been sold by Genav Maritime Co. Ltd., Malta, to Pakistan breakers, that she arrived at Gadani Beach on June 14th, and that she was handed over to the breakers the following day. * * * * * HIAWATHA AGAIN We had hoped to provide some additional information in this issue about HIA WATHA, our Ship of the Month No. 215. Unfortunately, we have no space for it and we would ask our readers to watch a future issue for this follow-up.