CSL’s new self-unloader Nukumi leaves China for Canada
Montreal, QC – The new Canada Steamship Lines’ self-unloader Nukumi has departed on her maiden voyage from Jianygin, China to Halifax Nova Scotia. She will be in Halifax in an estimated six weeks. The cutting-edge vessel will be the first diesel-electric laker and the first single-point loader to operate in Canada.
Windsor Salt and Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) partnered to build the new vessel for service in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Great Lakes region.Windsor Salt and CSL began construction of the custom-made vessel in August 2020 after several years of collaborative planning, which included an environmental impact analysis, ship and shore personnel safety reviews, an efficiency evaluation of cargo operations, and navigational optimization.
The distinctive, purpose-designed vessel was created to service Windsor Salt’s need to deliver deicing salt from its Mines Seleine salt mine on the Magdalen Islands to stockpiles in Montreal, Quebec City, and other destinations within the provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland. Windsor Salt’s consistent and timely delivery of deicing salt helps keep roadways safe during the winter season across Eastern Canada.
CSL
Duluth 2021 Season Summary: Iron ore leads tonnage upsurge
Duluth, MN – Rebounding from pandemic-induced lows in 2020, total maritime tonnage through the Port of Duluth-Superior climbed to 32.9 million short tons in 2021. This total represented a 27 percent season-over-season increase and a 2.3 percent improvement over the five-season average.
Iron ore, the port’s leading cargo by tonnage, led the upswing. The total taconite float topped 20 million short tons for the second time in four seasons, a feat unmatched since the early 1990s. In all, 20.4 million short tons of iron ore transited Duluth-Superior during the 2021 season, a 32.6 percent season-over-season spike and 11.9 percent gain on the five-season average.
Driven primarily by Duluth-Superior’s first petcoke exports since the 1990s, the coal and petcoke category posted the biggest percentage increase compared to 2020, jumping 47 percent to 7.9 million short tons.
Inbound cement tonnage also surged, more than doubling the 2020 total and exceeding the five-season average by 71.3 percent.
General cargo at the Clure Public Marine Terminal closed out the major gainers, with Duluth Cargo Connect handling nearly 50,000 short tons. This total exceeded the 2020 count by 4.6 percent and more than doubled the five-season average.
Grain, the port’s No. 1 export, suffered a steep drop to 808,498 short tons for the season. This marked an 85-year low for Duluth-Superior grain tonnage and was the second lowest seasonal grain total for the port since 1890.
For the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System as a whole, total overall tonnage increased by 1 percent season over season, finishing at 42 million short tons. The Seaway also notched a similar percentage gain in vessel transits, ticking up 1.61 percent. Vessel arrivals in the Port of Duluth-Superior jumped more than 16 percent compared to 2020.
With the 2021 season now closed, five domestic vessels are wintering in Duluth-Superior: the James R. Barker and Paul R. Tregurtha at the Clure Terminal in Duluth, and in Superior, Wis., the Lee A. Tregurtha at Fraser Shipyards, Burns Harbor at the Hansen-Mueller Dock and American Century at the Enbridge Dock.
“We hoped for a return to normalcy in 2021 and a tonnage rebound from the pandemic-plagued 2020 season,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “We’re still waiting on the return to normalcy, but the tonnage bounce back was pronounced, driven especially by strong demand for domestic steel. Our port continues to be a key link in North America’s supply chain, and we look forward to playing an increasingly prominent role in 2022 as we hopefully build on the bulk cargo tonnage and expand our containerized cargo services.”
Duluth Seaway Port Authority
Crew members saved after two ships collide off Netherlands coast during storm
All 18 crew members have been safely evacuated following a collision between two ships, one of them a Seaway visitor, in the Netherlands Monday during Storm Corrie, the Dutch coast guard said.
The German-registered freighter Julietta D started taking on water after colliding with the Maltese chemical tanker Pechora Star in the anchor zone at IJmuiden, the coast guard said. Two search and rescue helicopters were sent to the scene, with the Belgian coast guard sending a third helicopter. Lifeboats from IJmuiden and Scheveningen were also under way but are being hampered by the strong winds at sea.
The crash led to heavy damage to the freighter, caused by the anchor breaking loose, the coast guard told the Associated Press. The freighter lost its rudder, preventing it from steering and causing it to take in water. The Pechora Star also suffered damage, but it is not as severe, so the tanker can continue its voyage.
The damage on the freighter “pose[d] direct dangers for the 18 crew members on board,” Royal Dutch Lifeboat Company spokesman, Edward Zwitser, told the Associated Press.
The rescue operation was a joint effort from the Netherlands Coast Guard and the neighboring country of Belgium, which sent a helicopter to help with the evacuation. A total of three helicopters were used, with the operation being made more difficult due to the heavy winds from the storm.
Dutch News
Hamilton’s beach canal lighthouse is making big moves
Hamilton, ON – Hamilton harbor lighthouse back in local hands, will be moved to allow public access The ownership of the light station will be transferred to the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) from the federal government, CEO Ian Hamilton announced Friday.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada will transfer the lighthouse and the nearby keeper’s cottage to the local agency and will contribute $275,000 to help move the lighthouse 60 meters west, in order to align with the canal, and to restore it.
The move will mark the beginning of a larger restoration project of the Fisherman’s Pier, where the lighthouse is located, at the entrance to Hamilton Harbor.
Hamilton said that community members in Hamilton and Burlington have greatly supported the project and that the restoration would help make the landmarks accessible to the public.
CBC
Detroit Historical Society unveils 150+ model ships for new Great Lakes exhibit
Detroit, MI – Great Lakes shipping enthusiasts will be happy to know the perfect exhibition is open for viewing at the Detroit Historical Society.
A collection of more than 150 Great Lakes shipping models are now in display at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum through May 8.
Maritime Miniatures: The Art of the Ship Model explores the history of the Great Lakes shipping industry, from small schooners to the famous vessels like the Edmund Fitzgerald. The museum said one of its best models “are the oversized City of Detroit III with a cutaway interior and the oldest model in the Society’s collection, the Mayflower,” which was built in 1853, a year after the actual vessel launched.
The Detroit Historical Society has a world-class collection of Great Lakes ship models, representing over 300 years of North American freshwater maritime history. This Spring, see over 150 of our models on display together for the first time in more than 20 years! Some of the models have been enjoyed by visitors for decades, dating back to when the city’s maritime museum first opened aboard the J.T. Wing. Some are rarely seen due to their age, size or condition.
Admission will be $5 for everyone 6 years and older. Children under 6 and Detroit Historical Society Members will have free admission. As a reminder, residents of Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park can sign up for a membership for free.
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is located on Belle Isle in Detroit, MI, where it cares for some 250,000 historical artifacts.
Find out more here: https://detroithistorical.org/dossin-great-lakes-museum/exhibitions/special-exhibitions/maritime-miniatures-art-ship-model
Lay-up reports needed
Now that the end of the shipping season has arrived, 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/
