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Cover photo credit: David Schauer

Editor’s Note: Our daily photo galleries are currently down due to technical issues.

Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
The last in a long line of consecutive CSL lakers to call on BNSF Dock 5 would be the company’s Trillium-class Baie Comeau, arriving from the anchorage at 01:30 after the departure of fleetmate Atlantic Huron for Quebec. The Comeau, too, would take on a load of pellets for la Capitale-Nationale and make her departure at 10:14. Another newbuild in Algoma Intrepid would soon relieve her at the dock. Missed in all the excitement regarding the unusual CN loading patterns in yesterday’s report was the arrival of steamer Philip R. Clarke, making her way inbound the Duluth Ship Canal for the third time in her shortened season with limestone for C. Reiss around 17:20 Thursday evening. She departed for Two Harbors at 02:44 the following morning to load at CN 2 but was already headed back down the lake for Duluth before noon, fueling some speculation that yesterday’s unusual two-part taconite meals for Great Lakes Fleet lakers with delicacies from both North Shore ports were back on the menu. The Clarke would end up heading to Fraser Shipyards in the early afternoon instead, tying up near idled fleetmate Presque Isle to presumably receive repairs for the second time in two weeks. Traffic earlier in the day also included the departure of American Integrity at 04:42 with 68,000 tons of low-sulfur western coal from SMET, all destined for DTE’s St. Clair Power Plant. Another ASC footer in Walter J. McCarthy Jr. has taken over at the dock after arriving to load at 14:37. The highlight of the day’s activity in the Twin Ports was a visit from unique saltie Amoenitas, looking like an upgraded Maxima with a large pilothouse fore and a pair of heavy-lift cranes on deck. The big vessel made a calm morning arrival beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge at 08:14 with Wärtsilä and Siemens generators from Europe.

Marquette, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
American Spirit finally departed at 06:21 with Tilden taconite for the Glass City. Arriving for the south side of the ore dock at 13:35, classic laker Michipicoten took on one of her trademark quick loads – the “Michip Special” – and was already outbound for the Soo less than eight hours later. 

Port Inland, MI – Andrew Meyer
Great Republic arrived on the 25th of August at 1856, and departed at 0727 on Friday. She was replaced by the Manitowoc at 1606. John J. Boland is at anchor waiting to load after the Manitowoc, and Arthur M. Anderson is due after the Boland, currently scheduled to arrive in the area around 1600 on Saturday. It’s a bit uncommon to see the Anderson here as opposed to her regular Calcite trips. 

Southern Lake Michigan Ports – Andrew Meyer
Chicago, IL: No traffic is in Chicago or Calumet Harbor and it seems like it will be a quiet weekend there, too.
Indiana Harbor, IN: Joseph L. Block finally left port for Burns Harbor at 0232, leaving the Joyce and her Trader as the sole occupants of Indiana Harbor.
Gary, IN: Arthur M. Anderson came and went in the 10-hour span of 0712 and 1701 on Friday. She’s upbound for Port Inland now. Her younger but much larger fleetmates, Edwin H. Gott and Edgar B. Speer, should both grace town over the course of the weekend.
Burns Harbor, IN: Joseph L. Block arrived from Indy at 0517. Federals Shimanto and Kumano are still in town. No traffic is on the horizon except for the Burns Harbor, which is waiting for dock space.

St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Dock 63 received another shipment of lime when Calumet arrived from Stoneport before 20:00.

Grand Haven, MI – Matthew Uthe
Great Republic headed for Grand Haven, it will arrive around 2:15

Drummond Island, MI – Andrew Meyer
Drummond Island has been quiet the last 24 hours, but classics Kaye E. Barker and Wilfred Sykes are due this weekend. The Barker is upbound from Detroit and should arrive mid-morning Saturday, while the Sykes isn’t due until Sunday night.

Thessalon, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Robert S. Pierson was outbound Smelter Bay for Lorain at 07:00.

Meldrum Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Poor AIS coverage marred the departure of Manitoulin, who got underway for Holland sometime in the early morning.

Calcite, MI – Andrew Meyer
American Mariner blew town with another load of UP stone at 0926 on Friday. Victory and her barge, Maumee, arrived at 1758, a few hours behind schedule. Lee A. Tregurtha is due on the 27th at 1300, to be followed by Rand’s H. Lee White a few hours later. 

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Buffalo cleared 00.53 Thursday upbound for Green Bay WI with salt. Algoma Compass arrived 19.03 Thursday loading at Compass Minerals.

Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Traffic in Detroit-Windsor was down for the second day in a row, despite getting off to an early start with the 00:11 arrival of Kaye E. Barker. Loaded with a Stoneport cargo, the stylish AAA would spend some time at the Levy dock and the channel northwest of Zug Island before departing for Drummond Island at 12:12. Prentiss Brown was in port on the American side from 03:32 to 05:48 for a pit stop at Mistersky, to be followed later in the day by a 14:01-18:46 visit from Interlake veteran Lee A. Tregurtha. Lower Lakes Towing’s own old-timer Saginaw had an interesting day on the Detroit River; she arrived from Calcite to anchor shortly after 04:00 before proceeding to the Sterling Fuel/Miller Aggregates Southwest dock facing later in the morning. It was not immediately clear whether she was fueling or unloading. The unusual move came midafternoon with a shift of the classic laker downriver to the east side of Fighting Island, where she would remain for the rest of the evening before departing at 20:15 for Toledo. Herbert “Herbie” C. Jackson arrived at 21:36 for EES Coke, with Cuyahoga pulling into Sterling to refuel shortly after.

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Once empty, Victory/Maumee departed for Calcite. Mesabi Miner arrived at 15:10 to unload coal at DTE. New York/Double Skin 509A is still at the Port dock. American Century is due on Saturday.
Toledo, OH: Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader arrived at 05:34 to load at CSX.  Mark W. Barker made her first trip to the Glass City, arriving at 07:48 to unload salt at the ARMS dock. Cuyahoga departed for Windsor at 17:45.
Sandusky, OH: Florence Spirit departed at 06:12. She has coal for Hamilton, ON. Herbert C. Jackson was the next boat to get to the loader at Norfolk Southern after the McKeil boat departed. Once loaded, the Jackson left for Detroit at 14:23.
Cleveland, OH: Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader left Thursday evening for Toledo.  Wilfred Sykes arrived at 08:09 with stone for Cliffs. She left for Drummond Island once empty. Mark W. Barker left at 00:21, she had salt for Toledo. Other Departures were McKeil Spirit for Picton, ON at 11:54 and Federal Leda for Thunder Bay at 17:38. American Courage is back on the shuttles.
Ashtabula, OH: Lee A. Tregurtha unloaded stone at the Pinney dock, then departed for Calcite at 03:01. CSL Welland is unloading at Kinder Morgan(Pinney).
Nanticoke, ON: Algonorth departed for Sarnia, ON. Algonova weighed anchor and moved to the dock at Imperial Oil. CSL’s Frontenac is due Saturday morning.