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le THE LOG On December 17, the U. S. Coast Guard's icebreaker / buoy tender NEAH BAY was replacing summer buoys above the Cote Ste. Catherine Lock after receiving an emergency Call from the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority. ***® On December 22, U. S. Secretary of the Interior Donald P. Hodel added the Lightship HURON to the National Register of Historic Places. HURON has already been designated a “Historic Site” by the Michigan Historic Commission. A bronze plaque designating the HURON as a national historic landmark will be placed at Pine Grove Park in Port Huron. *** On December 23, the Seaway closed its 1989 season of navigation with the transit of the icebreaker J. E. BERNIER at the St. Lambert Lock. The last foreign-flag vessel to pass downbound through the St. Lambert was SASKATCHEWAN PIONEER, reflagged British in » 1989 with Castletown as her port of registry. Her sister ship, CANADA MARQUIS, was the last Canadian-flag merchant ship to clear the St. Lambert; both vessels clearing on December 23. *** The Welland Canal closed December 24 to allow for the continuation of the canal rehabilitation projects. The last transit of the canal downbound was completed on December 21 by Upper Lakes Shipping's SEAWAY QUEEN, bound for Toronto lay-up. ENERCHEM AVANCE was the last ship to pass upbound, completing her transit on December 23 bound for Sarnia. *** American Steamship’s AMERICAN REPUBLIC was the last ship downbound at the Soo Locks for the 1989 season when she transited the Poe Lock at 2:44 PM on December 27. The Soo Locks were Officially closed at midnight December 28. The Poe Lock was originally scheduled to remain open until January 15, but heavy ice Conditions, especially around Neebish Island, forced the early closure. *** On December p29, the 428-foot Finnish tanker KIISLA was * inbound for the Black Rock Canal in Buffalo when she struck a rock shoal. She was refloated the same day with assistance from Great Lakes Towing and the fireboat EDWARD M. COTTER, without leaking any of her hazardous cargo of 3,141 metric tons of xylene and 2,876 metric tons of toluene. After a survey by divers, it was found that the outer hull of the double-hulled tanker had a crack about 47 inches long and 5 inches wide. The inner hull remained intact, resulting in the absence of any cargo leakage. The damage, however, flooded a ballast tank, increasing KIISLA’s draft to a point where she was unable to deliver her cargo to it's intended destination, the Noco refinery in New York. The U. S. Coast Guard allowed KIISLA to return to Sarnia to unload her cargo, however, they ordered an icebreaker escort as a precaution. No U. S. Coast Guard vessels were available, so the Canadian Coast Guard's GRIFFON was summoned. On January 2, KIISLA departed Buffalo with GRIFFON escorting, and arrived in Sarnia on January 3. KIISLA unloaded her Cargo and departed Sarnia on January 6 bound for Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay after it was determined her damaged hull could not be repaired locally. Escorting KIISLA to Sturgeon Bay was Malcolm Marine's TUG MALCOLM. **X = Imperial Oil's IMPERIAL ACADIA rescued four Newfoundland men on January 7 after their wooden fishing boat was crushed by ice and sank in the Cabot Strait north of Sydney, Nova Scotia. *** On January 9, the U. S. Coast Guard announced the transfer of the buoy tender ACACIA from Grand Haven to Charlevoix to replace the wrecked MESQUITE. The transfer leaves Grand Haven without a Coast Guard vessel for the first time since 1932. Fifty-three crew members are involved in the move, but there will be no effect on Grand Haven’s brand new $2.3 million multi-mission station which includes a Group office and search and rescue station. On January 31, the U. S. Coast Guard was to have decommissioned MESQUITE, officially writting off the crippled buoy tender. Salvage efforts will begin in the Spring. *** The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is seeking state and federal grant assistance to extend 43-7-5