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Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Though Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader were inbound at 07:30 with limestone for Graymont, Saturday’s main event took place 30 minutes later when Ocean Navigator paid her first visit to Duluth. The second cruise ship to visit the Twin Ports this season, the Navigator arrived under the Aerial Lift Bridge and proceeded to the inner harbor under overcast skies. While the previous cruising vessel to visit the port, Viking Octantis, had been forced to anchor and send her passengers ashore via ferry tenders, Ocean Navigator was able to tie up directly at Clure Public Marine Terminal Berth 8. From here, travelers boarded buses to take in a variety of sights in the North Shore area. Back in the realm of commercial Great Lakes shipping, American Spirit departed Superior for Marquette at 10:59 after taking a delay at the Enbridge dock (ex-Lakehead Pipeline). The Spirit was presumably in port for mechanical repairs on just her second voyage of the season, a situation that strongly resembles the Lee A. Tregurtha’s own difficulties upon starting her season over the past two days. Both vessels had spent the early part of the year at their winter lay-up berths due to a lack of cargo demand. American Century departed Duluth with coal at 12:27 in typical MERC 12-hour-turnaround fashion, and Arthur M. Anderson followed her outbound less than an hour later with blast furnace trim loaded at CN-Hallett Dock 5. The two lakers are bound for St. Clair/Monroe and Gary, respectively. Over in Superior, Manitoulin arrived light for the vacant BNSF Dock 5 at 16:28. Clyde S. VanEnkevort departed the Superior Entry upon completion of discharging limestone at Graymont; the tug/barge combo anchored off the piers to wait for the Manitoulin to finish loading overnight. Ocean Navigator and her passengers bid Duluth farewell when they departed at 17:26 for Thunder Bay. The cruise ship is expected to make another trip to the Twin Ports this summer.
Two Harbors, MN – Silver Bay, MN – Gary Putney
Mesabi Miner arrived Two Harbors on 06/10 at 20:37. She departed on 06/11 at 12:55 for Indiana Harbor. Due Two Harbors on 06/12 is the Whitefish Bay.
Marquette, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
After discharging limestone at the old Shiras dock, Kaye E. Barker shifted to Marquette’s Upper Harbor and tied up at the southern side of the LS&I dock to load ore. Her early-season troubles (hopefully) behind her, fellow Interlake classic Lee A. Tregurtha was inbound at 08:24 and tied up at the ore dock across from her fleetmate. Barker and Tregurtha would depart with Tilden pellets for the Cleveland-Cliffs Dearborn Works at 09:45 and and 17:53, respectively.
Muskegon, MI – Shipwatcher News
The cruise ship Pearl Mist came into Muskegon Harbor twice this week, first on June 7, and also on June 9. As of June 10 she was still docked at Heritage Landing. This is the first cruise ship visit to Muskegon since the 2020 season!
Two vessels called on the Port of Muskegon on June 11. Algoma Intrepid arrived in the early morning with a load of salt from Goderich, ON, for the Verplank’s Salt Dock. She was joined by the Wilfred Sykes, with a load of limestone from Port Inland for the Verplank Port Terminal. Both vessels departed mid-afternoon, first the Algoma Intrepid. The Sykes departed soon after, blowing two sets of salutes as she passed through the channel on her way out.
Southern Lake Michigan Ports – Joshua Hebeisen
Calumet Harbor, IL: Steamer Alpena was inbound South Chicago early Saturday morning in the cover of darkness, proceeding down the Calumet River as the sun rose to tie up at the Lafarge terminal. Wagenborg saltie Flevoborg arrived at 08:05 for Iroquois Landing, and Bradshaw McKee/St. Marys Conquest were outbound for the lake at 11:44 after discharging cement products at St. Marys. The McKee and her barge are due next in Ferrysburg with more cement.
Indiana Harbor, IN: Joseph L. Block remains at Indiana Harbor West.
Gary, IN: Classic laker John G. Munson departed empty at 15:38 bound for stone at Calcite.
Burns Harbor, IN: Only one vessel would clear the breakwater Saturday, that being the outbound Burns Harbor after unloading ore at Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor. ASC’s thousand-footer will be making a rare trip to Northshore Mining in Silver Bay. Federal Leda remains moored at Metro Ports Burns Harbor.
Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Thursday, June 9 was the only day since the last report in which Detroit and Windsor saw ample vessel traffic stopping along the Detroit River. Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger were the first of what would be many visitors to Warner Petroleum’s Mistersky Fuel Dock throughout the day, stopping in port from 01:24 to 03:32 to fuel up for the trip to Charlevoix and more cement. In a trio of Interlake Steamship Co. passages, Herbert C. Jackson departed the Edward C. Levy dock for Toledo at 06:20, Hon. James L. Oberstar followed her down the River Rouge to shift from Dearborn to Mistersky at 07:45, and Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder anchored in the Detroit River around 08:52 waiting for the Oberstar to finish fueling. The latter departed for stone in Meldrum Bay at 09:35, allowing the tug/barge combo to proceed to the dock. In the meantime, Algoma Innovator departed Miller Aggregates Southwest on the Windsor side of the river en route to Goderich for salt. Dorothy Ann guided Pathfinder out of Detroit for Milwaukee at 12:09, allowing the inbound American Mariner to fuel at Mistersky. Former fleetmate Great Republic entered port mid-afternoon, taking the Mariner’s spot at the fuel dock after Grand River Navigation’s 730-foot vessel left for Calcite at 15:13. The Republic would find herself outbound less than two hours later headed for Port Inland.
Traffic slowed significantly on June 10 with only two vessels stopping in port, both for Mistersky. Radcliffe R. Latimer paid a visit from 05:23 to 10:16 before sailing upbound for Charlevoix, and Defiance/Ashtabula made a quick evening stop from 16:51 to 20:41 before casting off for Meldrum Bay.
The lull would extend into Saturday, June 11, with only three vessels in port to start the weekend. Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader arrived for Mistersky at 00:35 before departing three hours later for an unknown destination; asphalt/bitumen tanker Iver Bright sailed up the Rouge for Marathon’s Detroit Refinery at 13:00; and Harvest Spirit arrived Windsor for ADM in the evening, tying up at 18:00.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: James R. Barker arrived at 19:05 to unload coal at DTE.
Toledo, OH: Departures were Victory/Maumee for Sandusky, Miedwie at 10:15 for an off Lakes destination and Herbert C. Jackson for Burns Harbor.
Sandusky, OH: Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin left late Friday night with coal for Picton. Victory/Maumee arrived at 07:53, loaded coal and departed for the Soo at 16:53.
Cleveland, OH: Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement is at LaFarge/Holcim. McKeil Spirit departed Friday night for Picton.
Conneaut, OH: Presque Isle departed for Duluth at 11:08.
Nanticoke, ON: Algoma Hansa departed at 01:11 with petroleum products for Tracy.
Hamilton, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
On June 9, Algoma’s newest Equinox Class vessel Captain Henry Jackman arrived at 03:00 for ArcelorMittal Dofasco Berth 21 with ore. Chem Hydra departed from BWC Terminals (former Westway) for an overseas port at 05:57 after discharging UAN, and fellow saltie Federal Dee arrived at 09:54 for FMT 14 West with steel from Lianyungang, China. Evans Spirit arrived at 13:36 for the northern end of ArcelorMittal 21; Algoma Equinox made port at 14:52 and went to anchor. The Spirit was waiting on the Jackman with a cargo of petroleum coke, while the Equinox was waiting on both the Jackman and the Spirit with a load of ore. Joining the Equinox at anchor shortly after 15:00 was the inbound Eeborg.
Early Friday morning, the backup at ArcelorMittal continued when Florence Spirit arrived at 00:19 for the northernmost face of the pier. Captain Henry Jackman cast off and set sail for Thunder Bay at 02:59, allowing Evans Spirit to shift downward along Berth 21 to take her turn at the unloading dock. A game of musical boats was also taking place at FMT 12 East, with Eeborg tying up with ferro manganese from Kvinesdal, Norway when Federal Biscay left port at 03:58. Solina departed with grain from P&H at 09:19, Polsteam fleetmate Irma followed her outbound at 11:53 from Agrico, and SFL Weser was inbound the Burlington Canal at 14:58 for an unknown dock. Gaia Desgagnes arrived with an interesting cargo of jet fuel for Vopak at 15:26. Four hours later, Florence Spirit and Algoma Equinox shifted to the southern and northern ends of Berth 21, respectively, after Evans Spirit proceeded outbound at 19:27 to clean her holds in Lake Ontario.
The Evans would make her way back into the Hamilton Harbor at 04:00 Saturday morning to load grain at Richardson. Wicky Spirit shifted to G3 Canada for lay-up after receiving repairs at QSL. The congestion at ArcelorMittal finally cleared around 13:00 when Florence Spirit departed empty for Thunder Bay, giving Algoma Equinox the all-clear to shift south along Berth 21 to the unloading dock. Federal Dee departed at 18:22 empty for Ireland, and Eeborg left port shortly before 23:00 due next in Burns Harbor.
Since the last report, Redhead remains at FMT 12 North unloading steel.