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Tag: Great lakes

Cleveland’s MarineLINE completes first Jones Act application on ATB barge conversion

The MAM 141 (formerly the Double Skin 141) is a double-hulled Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) with a liquid cargo capacity of 137,500 barrels (bbl). It has a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of approximately 21,940 tonnes. (Image Credit: Advanced Polymer Coatings)

By Advanced Polymer Coatings. Ohio headquartered manufacturer Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) has completed the first ever application of its MarineLINE coating system on a Jones Act vessel in a US yard. The project was further the first conversion of an ATB petroleum barge to a chemical barge in the United States including a fully redesigned […]

Anti-Jones Act Candidate Finishes Last in Crowded Illinois Senate Primary

Voters insert their printed ballots into an automated ballot box that scans and tallies the votes and deposits the printed ballots into a locked container. Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller

By VOICES Staff. In one of the most crowded Democratic primaries in recent Illinois history, U.S. Senate candidate Steve Botsford finished at the bottom of the field, underscoring the steep challenges facing outsider candidates running on anti-industrial policy platforms. Botsford, a Chicago-area real estate investor and former legislative aide, was one of at least ten […]

U.S. Great Lakes Shipping at a Standstill

Sault Ste Marie, Mich. (Jan. 23, 2004) - The Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw clears a shipping track through the ice of the St. Marys River Jan. 23, 2004. USCG photo by PAC Jeff Hall.

By Lake Carriers’ Association. CLEVELAND, OHIO (March 26, 2026) – A little over a day and half since the Soo Locks opened providing access to Lake Superior and critical raw materials like iron ore, and the U.S.-flagged Great Lakes commercial fleet is at a standstill in the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay, the critical […]

Hackathon Delivers Next-Gen Ice Forecasting for the U.S. Coast Guard

Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB 30), a Great Lakes District ice-breaking cutter, arrives on scene to assist the motor vessel Wilfred Sykes, a lake freighter, beset by ice on Lake Huron Jan. 21, 2026. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. William Erekson).

By VOICES Staff.  Winter on the Great Lakes is not simply a seasonal challenge. It is an operational test for one of the most economically vital corridors in the United States. Each year, ice cover threatens the flow of commerce across a multibillion-dollar shipping system that moves roughly 130 million tons of cargo — including […]

Great Lakes Icebreaker Gap Threatens American Maritime Dominance

By James Weakley, Lake Carriers’ Association. When Americans think of our coastlines, most picture the beaches of the Atlantic, the Pacific, or the Gulf. But the Great Lakes are America’s fourth coast — a 2,300-mile expanse reaching deep into the nation’s industrial heartland. Each year, this system moves more than 135 million tons of cargo worth over […]

U.S. Representative Lisa McClain Recognized as a Great Lakes Champion

U.S. Congresswoman Lisa McClain of Michigan was honored as Legislator of the Year by the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force for her advocacy on behalf of the Great Lakes maritime industry. Her efforts, which include securing funding for the Soo Locks and a new heavy icebreaker, directly support the jobs and livelihoods of Jones Act mariners who operate the U.S.-flagged vessels on the Great Lakes.

By Great Lakes Maritime Task Force. Port Huron, MI (August 18, 2025) – On Monday, August 18, 2025, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain for her efforts advocating for the Great Lakes Navigation System and those who live and work on or near the Fourth Sea Coast. “It is […]

The Impact of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” on the Jones Act and U.S. Maritime Growth

By VOICES Staff. On July 4th, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBB), a massive reconciliation package that includes significant provisions for the maritime industry. The bill delivers critical funding to enhance U.S. maritime security, shipbuilding, and defense capabilities, while fostering economic growth and job creation in maritime-related sectors. The […]

A Cleaner Fleet Starts at the Shipyard

A Western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom from September 26, 2017. The scum shown here near downtown Toledo stretched all the way to Lake Ontario. This photo is from Landsat-8 (CREDIT: NASA/USGS).

By VOICES Staff. As America charts a course toward building, crewing and sailing more U.S. ships, maritime innovators are stepping up to meet the need to protect our inland waterways, Great Lakes and ocean territory. Among them is  Florida-based Seascour, a company revolutionizing one of the most overlooked, and potentially environmentally harmful, aspects of ship […]

Historic Robinson Bay Tugboat Transferred to Great Lakes Maritime Academy

The Tugboat Robinson Bay Credit: US DOT

By the U.S. Department of Transportation. Massena, N.Y. – Today, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) proudly completed the formal transfer of the Robinson Bay tugboat to the Great Lakes Maritime Academy during a ceremony at Snell Lock. This celebrated vessel, originally built in 1958, will now serve as a training platform for the Academy’s […]