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Cover photo credit: Andrew Russell
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Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Sneaky American Century and her 23:34 departure late Tuesday night managed to get out of being included in yesterday’s report by just a few hours. She is currently headed for St. Clair with coal from Midwest Energy. The harbor would remain quiet until 09:44 Wednesday morning when Tim S. Dool, loaded with her first cargo of the season, departed BNSF Dock 5 via the Superior Entry en route to Hamilton. CSL Tadoussac took her place just over 20 minutes later after waiting at anchor since midnight. The real head-scratcher of the day was the unusual activity that would follow at West Duluth’s CN Dock 6. In a rare move, the partially-loaded John G. Munson left port at 11:03 with just an appetizer from the gravity docks, to be topped off at Two Harbors two hours to the north. Meanwhile, fleetmate Edwin H. Gott wrapped up a partial load of her own in Two Harbors and headed south for Duluth, anchoring off the piers around 14:00 before making a 16:24 arrival. Once Algoma Sault cleared the CN 6 shiploader and departed for Quebec at 19:37, the Gott backed in to take her spot. Sources indicate the footer (and possibly the Munson) may be taking on multiple grades of taconite pellets, hence the use of CN facilities at both Duluth and Two Harbors. Due next at the dock will be Algoma Transport; she made port at 11:27 and went to the port terminal for a delay. Spartan/Spartan II arrived Duluth at 12:38 with calcium chloride brine for EnviroTech-Hallett Dock 8, the Tadoussac left Superior at 21:08 for Nanticoke, and fleetmate CSL Assiniboine sailed in to take over at BNSF after spending the day at anchor. Atlantic Huron is also swinging on the hook off Superior and will be the third CSL vessel in a row at the dock.
Marquette, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
American Spirit arrived at 03:59 to load at the north side of the LS&I ore dock, a practice once unheard of for a footer that has since become commonplace throughout the course of the summer. Starting with her starboard side against the dock facing, the Spirit would pull out around midday to perform a spin and line up with her port side under the chutes. Hon. James L. Oberstar paid a visit to the upper harbor at 11:00 to load at the unoccupied south berth.
St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
After loading slag at Burns Harbor, Undaunted/Pere Marquette were inbound just after noon to deliver their cargo to Rieth-Riley Construction’s Central Dock. The pair continued their tour of the southern portion of the lake with a 21:55 departure for Indiana Harbor.
Meldrum Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Manitowoc arrived after 03:00 to load before making a noon departure for Holland.
Stoneport, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
A Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader departure around midnight gave the Lafarge quarry time to prepare for a 15:30 visit by Kaye E. Barker. The tug/barge are headed to Windsor to offload their stone cargo.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Conveyor cleared 03.38 Tuesday upbound for Superior with salt. Algoma Innovator cleared 10.01 Wednesday upbound for Milwaukee with salt. Algoma Buffalo arrived 02.05 Wednesday loading at Compass Minerals, her 14th appearance here this season.
Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
A busy morning in Detroit-Windsor kicked off just as the clock struck midnight with Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin departing to the north with a full tank of gas for the journey to Two Harbors. On the other end of the river, Walter J. McCarthy Jr. was headed upbound empty for Duluth and stopped at Mistersky for fuel. An hour behind the footer was veteran laker Cuyahoga carrying an aggregate cargo from Marblehead. After sailing up the entire length of the Detroit River, she squeezed in between Peche Island and the Windsor shoreline to unload at Southwestern Sales East; next on the agenda was a midmorning shift south to ADM. At 02:38, Calumet came off of Lake St. Clair and headed to Levy on the Rouge to unload stone from Meldrum Bay. The McCarthy traded places with the upbound Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson at around 04:00, who in turn passed on the dock to tanker Iver Bright while making their way outbound for Bruce Mines at 06:30. Another switch took place around 09:00, this time at Levy, as Calumet departed for Stoneport and American Courage pulled up with stone from Bruce Mines. The latter left for Marblehead at 14:52, Mark W. Barker headed back for Cleveland around 17:15 after unloading salt on the Rouge for the first time in her young career, and Iver Bright cast off for Port Huron at 23:46. Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader had since arrived Lafarge to unload from Stoneport shortly before 22:00.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Toledo, OH: Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger arrived at 11:09 to unload cement. CSL Niagara arrived at CSX Torco at 14:54.
Marblehead, OH: American Courage was a late night arrival to load at Holcim.
Sandusky, OH: John D. Leitch departed at 12:38. She has coal for Dofasco in Hamilton, ON. Moving up under the loader is the ATB Victory/Maumee. Florence Spirit is still anchored in Lake Erie.
Cleveland, OH: Finished with shuttles, Sam Laud departed at 07:05. Karen Andrie/Endeavor arrived at 10:55 to unload petroleum products at the Shelley asphalt plant. ASC’s Indiana Harbor arrived at 14:54 to unload tactonite at the Bulk Terminal.
Nanticoke, ON: Algocanada departed for Sarnia at 10:44. Algoma Hansa left at 19:00 with petroleum products for Tracy, PQ.Algonorth arrived at Imperial Oil at 19:48. Algoscotia and Algonova remain at anchor.