The Highland Eagle, a construction vessel out of London, was just west of the bridge in the Straights, moving very slowly. A short time later the USCG gave a security call advising to give the vessel a CPA.
Turns out Enron, another foreign company, has contracted to take core samples for a proposed tunnel under the straights:
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2019/07/enbridge-highland-eagle-drilling-straits-mackinac-line-5/
Are there no US flagged construction vessels available?
Ask Fugro, those are their cabins on the back.
Or ask Tidewater.
A bit more on the project this vessel is engaged in:
You linked to the exact same news article as in the first post.
Oh there’s plenty of vessels available! But just look at the wind farms off MA/RI. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve counted about 8 foreign boats working/ surveying out there, but only one or two domestic boats. And Fourchon is chock full of boats that could do that work. 
Oops, now corrected.
A 220-foot long international drilling vessel
It’s a simple PSV, about as basic as they come.
The vessel comes with a price tag of roughly $17.5 million
Are they retarded? You could buy a 755 for $7-8 million in today’s market. Slap on a drill rig and still have a couple of millions left to pay salaries.
