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3. Marine News - cont'd. with the Jiangxi Jiangzhou Union Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., of China, to build three 16500 DWT, double-hulled, IMO II class tankers to be delivered in 2010 and 2011. To serve in European, Mediterranean and Asian waters, the tankers will be operated jointly with Bernhard Schulte, Slomai Neptun and Intrepid Shipping, which also have ordered similar tankers from the same shipbuilder. The McKeil Marine group has divested itself of another familiar tug, the 65-foot, 1944- built LAC ERIE. The tug has been acquired by Vic Powell, of Dunnville, Ontario. There has been another interesting development in the tug/barge field. On October 8, the McNally Construction tug JERRY NEWBERRY was returning from Deception Bay to Sorel with the barge McNALLY OLYMPIC in tow. In heavy weather, the towline parted and the barge went ashore 10 km. southwest of Hebron, Labrador. The deckhouse broke free of the barge, which was declared a total loss, although salvage "might" be possible in the spring. McNALLY OLYMPIC was built by Russel Bros, at Owen Sound in 1956. She was (a) McNCO NO. 19 (77), (b) PITTS OLYMPIC (00). On the barge's deck at the time of the accident were two tugs, MANISTI­ QUE, built in 1954 by Russel-Hipwell, and LE TAUREAU, built at Charlottetown in 1985 as (a) GEORGE BAY (97) and acquired around 2000 by McNally from Groupe Ocean. MANISTIQUE has not been seen since the stranding and is presumed lost. LE TAUREAU is wedged amongst rocks near the barge and, although a total loss, may be recoverable. In the May issue, we noted that the former Manitoulin Island ferry NINDAWAYMA had arrived at the Port Weller shipyard on April 26, having been acquired by Upper Lakes Group Inc. and towed from Montreal by COMMODORE STRAITS and RADIUM YELLOWKNIFE. A number of items of mechanical nature were removed from the ferry, for use on ULS ships, and the ferry, resold to Purvis Marine Ltd., was towed away from Port Weller in early August by the tug AVENGER IV. Upbound past Detroit on August 6, she was bound for Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. We have yet to hear whether she will be scrapped or just reduced to a barge (like CHIEF WAWATAM). The 114-foot, 1943-built, former Corps of Engineers tug LAKE SUPERIOR is no longer a museum ship. On display for a number of years, the tug attracted few visitors and so the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center has sold her for some $56, 000 to Billington Contracting Inc., Duluth, which hopes to restore the tug to active harbour service. She was last opera­ ted by the Corps in 1995. The former coastal ships CAPE MAY LIGHT (which ran into the lakes in 2001) and CAPE COD LIGHT (never completed), still have not found new owners. They have been idle at Jackson­ ville, Florida, since the 2001 failure of American Classic Voyages. Florida-based Cay Clubs is still paying demurrage to sustain its intended purchase of the ships, but the intended acquisition of Cay Clubs by Key Hospitality Acquisition Corp. has not been com­ pleted and will not be. Last issue, we made mention of the woes plaguing the 80-year-old wooden-cabined sternwheel riverboat DELTA QUEEN, whose oft-renewed exemption from SOLAS requirements will expire in November 2008. Although there is huge public and legislative support for a continued exemp­ tion, union activism (which used to support the boat but no longer does) has led one congressman and one senator (both in charge of such matters) to block bills from ever reaching the floor of either house. As well, Majestic America Line (new owner of the former Delta Queen Steamboat Company operations), although maintaining the vessel beautifully, seems unwilling to fight for the survival of the venerable steamboat, preferring instead simply to market 2008 as the boat's Farewell Season. (DELTA QUEEN has run most of 2007 with virtually full passenger loads while AMERICAN QUEEN has been less than 50% full on many trips and MISSISSIPPI QUEEN languishes, gutted, in a shipyard. ) A huge public campaign to save the boat has been mounted and interested persons should look on the internet under www. save-the-delta-queen. org We also have a copy of the petition that members can sign. It was announced in September that the wreck of the steel steamer CYPRUS, of the Lackawanna Steamship Company (Pickands Mather & Company), which was lost in a storm on Lake Superior on only her second trip, on October 11, 1907, has been found in 460 feet of water, some eight miles out from Deer Park, in Michigan's eastern upper peninsula. All but one of the steamer's crew were lost in the sinking. No definite cause of the accident ever has been discovered, although more may be learned now that the wreck has been found. The delay in finding the wreck stems primarily from the fact that the lone survivor estimated that CY­ PRUS was much farther out in the lake than she has proved to be. http://www.save-the-delta-queen.org