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CXS The L.oG = BULLHORN The 1966 season got off to an early start. Huron Cement's S. T. CRAPO cleared Ecorse for Al- Pena on March 12. The Soo open— ed April 1 with Pittwburgh's LEON FRASER upbound. The Seaway began the same day with two CSL package freighters making first lockages. The FORT YORK was eastbound at Iroquois and FRENCH RIVER westbound at St. Lambert, The Welland Canal op- ened April 4 with Huron's J. A. W. IGLEHART downbound. Litton Industries, which earl- ier announced tentative plans to build a shipyard at Lorain has undertaken studies to de- termine the feasibility of es- tablishing a new fleet of high- ly automated ‘ore carriers of standardized functional design. The Ford Motor Company has re- named -their newly-acquired JOS-— EPH S. WOOD in honor of the company's immediate past presi- dent, JOHN DYKSTRA. N.M.Paterson & Son's new twin package freighters, PRINDOC and LABRADOC passed upbound at De- troit April 10 and 16 respec- tively on their initial voyages following completion at Davie Shipbuilding, Lauzon. SHIPYARD SHAVINGS Manitowoc Shipbuilding has been awarded the contract to convert the ore carrier ALEX D. CHIS-— HOLM to a self-unloading cement carrier for Medusa Portland Ce- ment. The tugs JOHN PURVES and LAURENCE C. TURNER towed CHIS- HOLM from Erie, passing Detroit April 13. Slated for service early next season, she will be renamed MEDUSA CHALLENGER. Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City will launch their third guided- missile destroyer for the Royal Australian Navy May 5. She will be christened BRISBANE. SWAPS & SALES The excursion steamer ERIE QUEEN may be acquired by Myles J. Rosenthal, of New York, from Acme Scrap Iron and Metal, Ash- tabula. Rosenthal hopes to put her in charter service out of Toledo and Detroit. Kinsman Marine Transit Co., has acquired yet another steamer, Pittsburgh Fleet's FRANCIS &. HOUSE, which has been idle at Duluth since October, 1960. Following refit at Fraser Ship- yards, Superior, she will sail as KINSMAN INDEPENDENT, a title which well befits her owners. The Kinsman fleet, with nine vessels, has lead in the recent resurgence of independent Amer- ican lake steamship operators. Buckeye Steamship Co., another independent, continues to ex- pand with their recent purchase of Bethlehem Steel's bulk car- rier LACKAWANNA. She will sail under that name for Buckeye this season. Wilson Marine Transit has pur- chased the steamers J. BURTON AYERS and J.H.HILLMAN JR. from Northwestern Mutual Life Insur- ance Co. Wilson has had these vessels under charter since 1957 with the latter re-chart- ered to the Columbia fleet for the season 1960 through 1965. She returned to Wilson colors this spring. CORRECTION: Scott Misener's MERTON E. FARR has been renamed NIXON BERRY rather than PERRY as reported in last month's "The Lookout" section. Bill Luke Contributors: Paul Sherlock Vaughn Stecker John Vournakis