Please send port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Her horn sounding eerily out on the lake, the towering Viking Octantis slowly emerged from a thick fog in a dramatic entrance to Duluth on Memorial Day morning. Her arrival in the canal at 06:03 marked the first visit by a cruise ship to the Twin Ports in almost a decade. With no dock at the DECC available to accommodate the 665-foot vessel and her 378 passengers, the Octantis went to anchor in the inner harbor, where her twin tenders shuttled guests back and forth to shore. Earlier in the day at 04:08, Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader arrived Superior to load taconite at BNSF 5. The pair would depart for Toledo at 15:34 with 35,000 tons of Hibtac pellets. At 17:13, Federal Seto weighed anchor after a long wait on the hook outside Duluth and arrived the canal during a break in the fog. G-tugs Arkansas and Missouri assisted the saltie to CHS 1 in Superior, where she will be loading wheat for an overseas port. Heading for the Apostle Islands, Viking Octantis departed Duluth at 18:18 in considerably clearer conditions. She will be back in town in about one month on her second of seven scheduled visits this year. CSL Niagara was inbound Superior at 19:13 to load at BNSF. Federal Weser is still at SMET loading petroleum coke (possibly due to weather), and Lee A. Tregurtha is expected to depart her Fraser Shipyards lay-up on Wednesday or Thursday.
Two Harbors, MN – Silver Bay, MN – Gary Putney
Presque Isle departed Two Harbors on May 30 at 00:59 for Gary. Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin arrived at 01:17 and departed at 14:03 for Quebec City. Due Two Harbors on May 31 is Edwin H. Gott. Due Cliffs Northshore Mining in Silver Bay on May 31 are Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader.
Marquette, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Upon completion of her load on the south side of the LS&I dock, Herbert C. Jackson departed at 04:54 to deliver a cargo of Tilden pellets to Dearborn. American Spirit, making her first trip of the season after an extended lay-up, was a welcome sight in Marquette’s Upper Harbor when she arrived at 10:09. The footer tied up at the north side of the gravity dock to take on taconite.
Southern Lake Michigan Ports – Joshua Hebeisen
Calumet Harbor, IL: Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41 arrived at 01:24 for Middle River Marine. While navigating the first bend in the river, the pair passed by Algoma Innovator unloading salt at Compass Minerals. The Innovator was outbound at 09:23 for Goderich and another salt cargo. Calling on the Port of Chicago’s Iroquois Landing Lakefront Terminal at 16:09 was Ale, the former Polsteam-owned Raba.
Indiana Harbor, IN: Joseph L. Block departed at 09:17 from Indiana Harbor West for Burns Harbor.
Burns Harbor, IN: After a quick 2.5-hour journey, Joseph L. Block arrived at 11:45 to unload taconite pellets at Cleveland-Cliffs.
Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Heading upbound for BNSF in Superior, James R. Barker stopped in port for fuel from Misterky between 05:19 and 10:06. Ocean Navigator arrived at 07:42 with passengers for the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, and Everlast/Norman McLeod sailed down the River Rouge and across the Detroit River to CBM in Sarnia. The pair had previously been tied up at Shell. John G. Munson arrived at 8:35 to unload at the McCoig Materials Terminal, while Hon. James L. Oberstar exited the Rouge and Detroit for Meldrum Bay at 09:32. The Munson cast off at 15:51 headed upbound for Belle River. Victory/Maumee arrived at 17:21 for Mistersky and continued on their journey for Sault Ste. Marie at 21:01. Ocean Navigator departed for Little Current at 18:07, and was followed outbound under an hour later by the steamer Wilfred Sykes. The Sykes is on her way back to Burns Harbor after paying visits to Cleveland and Detroit.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: James R. Barker departed for Duluth at 02:16. Paul R. Tregurtha came in from anchorage at 08:44 to finish offloading at DTE.
Toledo, OH: Departures were Victory/Maumee for Sault Ste. Marie and Florence Spirit for Windsor. Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader arrived at 12:08.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Kaye E. Barker was a rare visitor here, arriving at 10:39 with stone for Sidley. Arriving at 15:38 was the tug/barge Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson with stone for Osborne.
Conneaut, OH: Indiana Harbor arrived at 07:30 to unload ore at the P&C dock. She departed at 19:01.
Erie, PA: Olive L. Moore/Menominee left for Marblehead at 12:37. Manitowoc arrived at 13:13 with stone for Carmeuse.
Nanticoke, ON: Algocanada is at Imperial Oil.
Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
As a correction to the May 30 report, Bristol Bay departed Buffalo for Ashtabula, not Cleveland as previously reported.
Hamilton, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Federal Hunter arrived Richardson from anchor at 08:50 to load grain, leaving Harbour Progress alone on the hook. Joining the Progress in the inner harbor were salties Puna at 11:22 and Solina at 17:56, both waiting for dock space. The Puna is a former visitor to the Great Lakes under the name Three Rivers. Algoma Conveyor departed at 15:08 for Sarnia after delivering grain to Bunge; her fleetmate G3 Marquis followed her outbound at 20:59 after unloading ore at ArcelorMittal. The latter is due next in Thunder Bay, likely to load grain. Edenborg was also an evening departure, leaving port at 22:29 with P&H grain for the United Kingdom. Iver Ambition is at Ruetgers with coal tar, and both Blair McKeil and Narie are busy unloading steel at Federal Marine Terminals.