-- The new Official Numbers for FEDERAL LAKES, (a) AVON FOREST, and FEDERAL SEAWAY (II), (a) and (c) LAURENTIAN FOREST, (b) GRAND ENCOUNTER, are, respectively, U.S. 681926 and 694202. Both ships are now owned by Piute Energy and Transportation Company, a Fednav Group company, and both are bareboat chartered to Fednav Lakes Services Inc., Detroit, where both are registered. (While owned by Blackwall Shipping, LAURENTIAN FOREST was registered in Panama but carried a British crew.)

-- Work is progressing at Port Weller on the construction of the new bow section which is being fitted to the Canarctic Shipping Ltd. motorvessel ARCTIC. The job, worth some $16 million, will see ARCTIC reclassified from Ice Class II to Class IV, and will enable her to withstand more frequent trips to take crude oil from the Bent Horn Station on Cameron Island in the High Arctic.

-- The Michigan Department of Transportation has retained a Cheboygan firm to conduct a study of eight sites in the Straits of Mackinac area (five in St. Ignace and three in Mackinaw City) for consideration in the event that CHIEF WAWATAM is preserved as a museum. Although the mayor of St. Ignace is a staunch supporter of having the CHIEF in active service, his city manager seems to favour the peculiar idea of sinking the CHIEF as a breakwater!

-- The Finnish tanker KIISLA has remained in operation on her winter route between Sarnia and Chicago (carrying aromatic chemicals for Suncor), but on several occasions she has encountered difficulties in the heavy ice which has formed in the Straits of Mackinac. On at least one occasion (if not more), she has required the assistance of the U.S.C.G. BISCAYNE BAY.

-- Another tanker which has encountered winter troubles is L'ORME NO. 1, (a) LEON SIMARD (82), of the Societe Sofati/Soconav fleet. She became trapped in ice at Bathurst, New Brunswick, about January 4th, and it was not until January 11th that she finally was freed from her predicament by the C.C.G.S. TUPPER.

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