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Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
It was another slow day at the Twin Ports, with the only substantial vessel traffic through the Duluth or Superior piers being the departure of Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader at 09:17. The pair set off from Superior with Hibtac pellets for Toledo. In a sure sign of summer to come, local tour boat Vista Star was inbound the Duluth Ship Canal after spending the winter in Washburn, Wisconsin for winter layup, a five-year inspection, and a new underside paint job. Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader finished discharging limestone at C. Reiss early afternoon, and made the two-and-a-half-hour trek to BNSF Dock 5 in Superior to load taconite.
Two Harbors, MN – Silver Bay, MN – Gary Putney
Victory/Maumee arrived Two Harbors on Thursday at 19:50 for south of #2. She departed Friday morning at 03:24 for Algoma Steel at the Soo, ON. Mesabi Miner arrived Two Harbors at 04:36 for south of #2. As of 18:30, Edgar B. Speer is currently south of the Soo with a Two Harbors destination.
Thunder Bay, ON – Anonymous
Algoma Strongfield had finished loading grain by Thursday at 19:30 and departed for Port Cartier. Early Friday morning at 01:47, Algoma Intrepid departed with her second load of potash this year for the Saginaw Bay Fertilizer Terminal on the Saginaw River. Algoma Transport departed with coal for Detroit at 06:51, and saltie Perelik arrived at Thunder Bay Terminals to load potash at 08:24.
Northern Lake Michigan Ports – Anonymous
Port Inland, MI: American Courage departed Wednesday at 16:18 for Ashtabula. Grand River Navigation fleetmate Sam Laud arrived Thursday at 21:43 to load limestone and departed Friday at 09:58 for Lake Huron.
Brevort, MI: Defiance/Ashtabula finished loading sand Friday morning and departed at 03:11 for Buffalo.
Charlevoix, MI: Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger departed the St. Marys Cement plant Thursday at 21:06 for Milwaukee.
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
Viking Octantis arrived from Mackinac Island at 10:57 Friday. Because of her size, she backed into the inner harbor and tied up at the City Heavy Lift Dock. Still in the harbor were CSL Laurentien loading grain at COFCO and Meredith Ashton with barges AM 2100 and AM 2101. Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger are expected early Friday evening.
Southern Lake Michigan Ports – Joshua Hebeisen
Calumet Harbor, IL: Algoma Innovator departed from the Iroquois Landing Lakefront Terminus at 08:45 for Meldrum Bay, and Federal Churchill was inbound to take her spot at 13:15. Ronnie and Caroline McKee/Commander were evening departures; the former left for Montreal at 19:56, and the latter was outbound almost two hours later for Charlevoix. The two vessels had been at the Chicago Rail and Port dock and St. Marys Cement’s Lake Calumet facility, respectively.
Indiana Harbor, IN: Joseph L. Block remained at Mittal West, likely loading excess Cleveland-Cliffs taconite pellets for transfer elsewhere.
Buffington, IN: Arthur M. Anderson departed at 06:00 for Port Inland, and American Mariner arrived just before midnight from Calcite.
Gary, IN: Walter J. McCarthy Jr. finished discharging taconite at USS Gary Works and was outbound for Two Harbors at 11:40.
Burns Harbor, IN: Vlieborg remained at Federal Marine Terminals, where she was joined by fellow saltie Hudsongracht around 09:00. Undaunted/Pere Marquette arrived at 11:04 and tied up near Frick Services.
Northern Lake Huron Ports – Anonymous
Alpena, MI: Friday at 10:57, Samuel de Champlain/Innovation departed with cement products for Milwaukee. G.L. Ostrander/Integrity arrived soon after to load at the Lafarge plant.
Stoneport, MI: Calumet arrived Friday at 12:28 to load limestone.
Calcite, MI: At 19:36 Thursday, American Mariner departed for Buffington. The next vessel at the dock was Wilfred Sykes, arriving early Friday morning at 01:57 to load limestone.
Mackinac Island, MI: Early Thursday morning, cruise ship Viking Octantis anchored off of Haldimand Bay and began tendering passengers for shore excursions. She departed for Milwaukee at 17:47 with her passengers back on board.
Port Dolomite, MI: John G. Munson departed for Marine City on Thursday at 20:52 with a cargo of limestone.
Drummond Island, MI: Saginaw departed Thursday at 21:29 for Sarnia.
Bruce Mines, ON: Friday at 9:56, Michipicoten arrived to load trap rock.
Meldrum Bay, ON: Laura L. VanEnkevort /Joseph H. Thompson departed Thursday at 18:29 for Marysville.
Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
It was a bustling day in the Motor City, which kicked off early Friday morning with Kaye E. Barker maneuvering up the River Rouge to Dearborn. She was carrying a load of taconite from Marquette’s Tilden Mine. Whitefish Bay was inbound the Detroit River shortly after and proceeded to St. Marys CBM in Windsor. Olive L. Moore/Menominee arrived at 04:22 for the Levy aggregates dock along the River Rouge, and steamer Alpena made a 05:21 port of call for Lafarge. After spending the first few weeks of the shipping season in layup in Toledo, it was a welcome sight to see Great Lakes Fleet’s Great Republic upbound for Port Dolomite. She stopped at Mistersky for fuel shortly after 06:00. It had also been some time since Presque Isle made an appearance in Detroit; she had been docked in Erie for repairs before arriving at 08:22 for fuel at Mistersky. The integrated tug/barge took the spot of her fleetmate Great Republic and cast off around 10:00 upbound for Two Harbors. Olive L. Moore and her barge were next in line for fuel after discharging limestone at Levy, Whitefish Bay departed St. Marys for Duluth-Superior at 11:49, and Kaye E. Barker sailed down the Rouge outbound for Cedarville at 13:13. Fellow Interlake Steamship classic Hon. James L. Oberstar was inbound for fuel at Mistersky shortly after the Moore/Menominee cleared for Calcite at 13:22. The Oberstar departed upbound for Stoneport at 17:34, and Alpena was the fifth vessel to tie up at Mistersky when she finished unloading cement. Yet another customer for the dock was John J. Boland; she was inbound at 20:45 after Alpena cast off for Essexville. On the Windsor side of the Detroit River, Florence Spirit is still loading at ADM.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Toledo, OH: The lone arrival was Edwin H. Gott at 08:47. Hon. James L. Oberstar departed for Stoneport at 08:47, and Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader are at the ore dock.
Sandusky, OH: Manitoulin left at 05:38 with coal for the Soo.
Cleveland, OH: Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement arrived at 06:51 to unload at the St. Marys Jefferson St. terminal. Lubie departed for Burns Harbor at 07:40. Peyton Lynn C was inbound at 07:52 and went to Dock 22E to both load and unload containers. NACC Capri is at anchor in Lake Erie waiting out river currents. Manitowoc arrived at 08:09 to unload at Ontario Stone and cleared the breakwaters at 18:18. Federal Fraser arrived at 20:13 and went to Dock 26W; she will be discharging steel.
Ashtabula, OH: American Courage arrived at 05:30 to unload stone. She departed for Bruce Mines at 18:26.
Nanticoke, ON: Edwin H. Gott left late Thursday night for Toledo. Frontenac arrived at 16:28 to unload ore at Stelco; both Algocanada and Algonorth are at Imperial Oil.
Hamilton, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Algoma Conveyor arrived at 03:06 with a load of grain from Thunder Bay. She tied up at P&H Berth 10-6 to discharge, just across from Federal Mayumi loading grain at 10-5. CSL Assiniboine arrived at 06:00 carrying gypsum for the QSL dock, and her near-sister CSL Niagara followed her inbound at 07:40 with bulk cargo (likely petroleum coke) for Stelco. Harvest Spirit arrived at 08:48 with coke for ArcelorMittal, Rodopi was outbound en route to Brazil after unloading gypsum at Federal Marine Terminals, Kaministiqua tied up at Richardson early afternoon to load grain, and Algoma Guardian made port at 17:21 with steel slabs for Federal Marine Terminals 12 East. Federal Beaufort is across from her at 14 West unloading steel. Tundra is discharging urea at Agrico, while Shoveler waits at anchor with fertilizer.