Traffic at the Soo Locks dwindles as season nears end
Saturday morning update: At 9 am Saturday, Katmai Bay was breaking ice ice ahead of the downbound convoy consisting of Walter J. McCarthy Jr., Harvest Spirit, John G. Munson, Robert S. Pierson and john G, Munson. The vessels have been stopped overnight above Nine Mile and will now parade through the Rock Cut. On the other side of Neebish Island, American Century and Sam Laud are coming up. Sunny, -13, wind chill -34.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – With the shipping season set to close on Saturday night, the final vessels of the season were headed toward the Soo Locks on Friday. Paul R. Tregurtha was upbound in the early afternoon headed for Duluth and winter lay-up. She was assisted through several tight spots by USCG Bristol Bay and USCG Katmai Bay.
Downbound traffic Friday afternoon included Edwin H. Gott (assisted above Big Point by USCG Katmai Bay) and Michipicoten (from Algoma). Walter J. McCarthy Jr., Harvest Spirit, John G. Munson and Robert S. Pierson were behind Michipicoten. American Century was due upbound Friday night headed for Superior and the barn, with Sam Laud following, bound for Algoma Steel. As of 11 p.m., they were anchored in lower Mud Lake awaiting daylight.
Saturday’s traffic will include Arthur M Anderson and Dirk S. VanEnkevort / barge Michigan Trader downbound late. It looks like the locks’ final ship of the season will be the Indiana Harbor, which arrived at Two Harbors to load taconite on Friday afternoon.
The end of the season is arriving just in time. With temperatures well below zero, the St. Marys River is freezing fast.
Roger LeLievre
Great Lakes limestone trade up 11 percent in 2021
Cleveland OH – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 29.5 million tons in 2021, an increase of 11 percent compared to 2020. 2021’s loadings were also 4.8 percent above the trade’s 5-year average. See chart below.
Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 23.5 million tons, an increase of 11.4 percent compared to 2020. Shipments from U.S. quarries were also above their 5-year average by 2.4 percent. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 6 million tons, an increase of 9.3 percent compared to the prior year, and 15.2 percent better than their 5-year average.
Lake Carriers’ Association
Soo Locks closing for seasonal repair, maintenance
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie will close to ship traffic on Saturday night for yearly maintenance. Every year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses the two-month closure to perform maintenance on the locks to keep them going.
The Corps said the Detroit District team works long hours in extreme conditions on a significant amount of maintenance. The locks are scheduled to open at 12:01 a.m. on March 25.
“It is a difficult time in terms of weather to complete this work, but it keeps this important national infrastructure project operating during shipping season,” Soo Area Engineer Kevin Sprague said.
The Corps of Engineers has several projects to complete, including working and inspecting the Poe Lock hydraulic steel structure, miter gate bottom girder repair and seal replacement, dewatering system maintenance and more.
Contractors will also perform rehabilitation of the Poe Lock’s upstream primary gate.
On top of the maintenance, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is building a second Poe-sized lock which holds the largest ships on the Great Lakes at more than 1,000 feet. The lock is 110 feet wide and 1,200 feet long.
In December, they wrapped up the second year of upstream channel deepening to deepen the canal enough for the large ships to use. The work will resume in the spring, and construction of the lock chamber is expected to begin in the 2022 construction season.
WXYZ
West Neebish Channel to close Jan. 17
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Following the closure of the Soo Locks, Per 33 CFR 162.117, Director VTS St Marys River will close the West Neebish Channel effective 0800 local time on 17 January 2022. Alternating one-way traffic will be established in the Munuscong and Middle Neebish Channels.
The Coast Guard would like to remind all recreational ice users to plan their activity carefully, use caution on the ice, and stay away from shipping channels.
South Channel between Cheboygan and Bois Blanc Island to close
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – Per 33 CFR 165.901, Captain of the Port Sault Ste Marie will close the waters between Cheboygan Michigan and Bois Blanc Island Michigan known as South Channel, effective 0800 EST 16 January 2022.
The Coast Guard would like to remind all recreational ice users to plan their activity carefully, use caution on the ice, and stay away from shipping channels.
Lay-up reports needed
As the end of the shipping season approaches, please send reports of vessel lay-ups to news@boatnerd.net. This will help us compile our annual lay-up list. Include vessel name, date, port and name of lay-up dock. Click here to view the Lay-Up List: https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-layup-2021-2022/
