Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
As the clock flipped to Saturday, CSL’s Baie Comeau arrived off the Superior Entry and dropped anchor to wait in line for ore at BNSF 5. The first vessel traffic inside the harbor was the departure of James R. Barker; she cast off from CN 6 with UTAC pellets and cleared the Duluth piers at 05:03. The Barker will once again be heading for Indiana Harbor to discharge her cargo at Cleveland-Cliffs. Manitoulin departed Superior with Keetac product for the Soo at 08:35, and her fleetmate Michipicoten was inbound 15 minutes later to load the same cargo for the same destination. She would depart at 15:00 after her typically speedy load, clearing the way for Baie Comeau to proceed inbound for the dock at 15:15. Vlieborg was outbound Duluth at 18:47 after loading beet pulp pellets at Gavilon. She is due next in Northern Ireland, where the pellets will be used as animal feed.
Two Harbors, MN – Silver Bay, MN – Gary Putney
Mesabi Miner departed Two Harbors on Saturday at 08:02 for Indiana Harbor. Edgar B. Speer arrived at 11:29, and due in port on Sunday is Presque Isle. At 18:00 on Saturday, she was west of Whitefish Point. The Speer is loading for Gary. Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader arrived Cliffs Northshore Mining in Silver Bay on Friday at 20:45 and departed Saturday at 06:10 for Toledo.
Marquette, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader arrived at 05:45 for the north side of the LS&I gravity dock; the pair departed at 18:19 for Cleveland with Tilden pellets. Kaye E. Barker arrived in the meantime with stone for the Shiras dock at 17:27.
Muskegon, MI – Shipwatcher News
Manitowoc arrived on Saturday with a load of limestone from Port Inland, MI, for the Verplank’s Port Terminal.
Southern Lake Michigan Ports – Joshua Hebeisen
Calumet Harbor, IL: Caroline McKee/Commander were outbound for Charlevoix and more cement in the first few minutes of Saturday morning. Federal Fraser arrived at 05:50 for the Iroquois Landing Terminal, and Janis departed for the lake at 10:53 after spending the day at the Chicago Rail and Port terminal down the Calumet River.
Indiana Harbor, IN: Dock 7H saw the arrival of Joseph L. Block at 05:27 before the laker shifted to Mittal West just before noon.
Buffington, IN: Joseph L. Block departed at 03:44 to make the short voyage north to neighboring Indiana Harbor.
Burns Harbor, IN: Wilfred Sykes departed Cleveland-Cliffs for Grand Haven at 20:34.
Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Lower Lakes Towing’s classic Type L6 laker Cuyahoga departed Windsor Salt at 03:35 bound for Parry Sound. At the same time, Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin pulled away from Sterling Fuels just up the river and set out for Two Harbors. Herbert C. Jackson was downbound for Sandusky at 06:43 after unloading at the Levy dock on the River Rouge, and new cruise ship Ocean Explorer made her first port of call at Detroit shortly after 07:00. As her fleetmate Ocean Navigator did just days before, Ocean Explorer tied up at the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority’s Public Dock and Terminal before setting out for Little Current, Canada at 21:21. At 08:54, American Courage called on Mistersky for fuel. Samuel de Champlain/Innovation arrived for St. Marys with cement at 10:32, Federal Columbia was upbound for Indiana Harbor at 11:27 following a stop at Nicholson, and the Courage departed Mistersky for Cleveland at 11:51. Fellow Grand River Navigation fleetmate American Mariner took her place at Mistersky at 12:16 before leaving for Marquette at 15:01. Sailing down the River Rouge from Dearborn was Hon. James L. Oberstar, who departed the Detroit River at 13:31 downbound for Toledo. Walter J. McCarthy Jr. was the next customer at Mistersky at 18:07. Samuel de Champlain guided Innovation downbound for Cleveland just after 21:00, and the McCarthy was upbound for Two Harbors shortly thereafter.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Everlast/Norman McLeod departed for Sarnia at 12:46.
Toledo, OH: Arrivals were Federal Bering, Hon. James L. Oberstar, and Polsteam’s Lubie. Departures were Belasitza for Tunisia and Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger for Cleveland. Algoma Harvester is in port.
Sandusky, OH: Herbert C. Jackson arrived at 15:07 to load coal at Norfolk Southern.
Cleveland, OH: Cruise ship Ocean Explorer left Friday night for Detroit. American Mariner unloaded Tilden pellets at the Bulk Terminal and departed for Marquette at 04:32. Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger arrived at 16:52 to unload cement at the Columbus St. terminal. American Courage arrived at 19:17 to unload at Ontario Stone. Still in town are Federal Beaufort, Hudsongracht, Harvest Spirit and Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Victory/Maumee arrived at 13:14 with stone from Calcite. She unloaded at Osborne. The tug/barge departed at 20:12.
Conneaut, OH: Walter J. McCarthy Jr. departed for Two Harbors at 04:56. John G. Munson arrived at 04:22, unloaded ore at the P&C dock and left for Calcite at 14:56.
Nanticoke, ON: Thunder Bay departed Friday night for Sarnia. Algoma Equinox arrived at 10:08 and went to Stelco. Algonova departed with petroleum products for Oakville at 12:01.
Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
As an update to yesterday’s report, the tug New York had left her barge Double Skin 509A on the Marathon pier and went upriver to the Suite Kote terminal on Thursday to change crews and resupply. The facility here is more conducive to this transfer due to the large apron on the dock. The pair was due to depart on Saturday morning.
Hamilton, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
The only vessel traffic to pass through the Burlington Canal on a quiet Saturday was a pair of Fednav bulkers. Federal Ems was inbound for grain at G3 at 10:57, and her fleetmate Federal St Laurent cleared the piers at 13:37 for Cleveland after unloading steel at Federal Marine Terminals 14 West. Like yesterday, Bogdan is at P&H loading grain, Drawsko is across from Federal St Laurent discharging steel coils, Shoveler is offloading fertilizer at Agrico, and tankers Ruby-T and MTM Singapore are waiting at anchor in the inner harbor.