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Cover image: McKeil Spirit blends right in with the Toronto skyline as she arrives to unload cement. Korey Garceau photo, August 29
Editor’s Note: Our daily photo galleries are currently down due to a technical issue. Thank you for your continued patience!
Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
With approximately 58,000 tons of Hibtac ore deposited in her seven massive cargo holds, 1,004-foot supercarrier Mesabi Miner lowered her boom and proceeded to inch away from Dock 5 of the BNSF Allouez Taconite Facility early Tuesday morning. The cargo, mined from the earth and condensed into pellets by the vessel’s namesake workers of the Mesabi Iron Range, will be traveling with the Miner across Lakes Superior and Michigan for a date with the sprawling Cleveland-Cliffs works in Burns Harbor. After the official departure outbound Superior at 02:15, things would remain quiet in the canal for about three hours until Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader made an appearance for ore, also Hibtac, under the same conveyors the Miner had vacated earlier in the morning. Duluth action began at 09:44 with the arrival of American Century for SMET and a load of coal for St. Clair, followed inbound 40 minutes later by the loaded Great Republic carrying stone from Port Inland. After discharging the backhaul cargo along the dock facing at CN-Hallett 5, the Republic would shift east to go under the chutes at CN’s Dock 6 around 19:30. At the same time, Joyce was pushing her loaded barge out the Superior piers bound for Toledo, meeting the checked-down Algoma Harvester just off the entry as the Canadian vessel waited for the pair to pass. She would be inbound at 19:41 for her own load of Hibtac pellets at BNSF with escort Algoma Guardian – having followed fleetmate Harvester across the lake – going to anchor off Minnesota Point. This is the Guardian’s first trip back after leaving a few months’ stay in Port Weller. The last activity before bedtime in the Twin Ports would be Hon. James L. Oberstar’s 22:20 visit to Duluth with a split load of stone from Stoneport and Meldrum Bay. Interlake’s quintessential classic laker would tie up at Hallett 5 for some shut-eye while her crew on the late shift takes care of the unloading process.
Marquette, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
No activity at the docks in Marquette, though ASC’s American Spirit will arrive in the morning, and the Lee A. Tregurtha will follow in the next 24 hours or so.
Green Bay, WI – Port of Green Bay
Click on vessel image to see voyage info.
Grand Haven, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
Interlake’s Kaye E. Barker arrived at Verplank to unload stone from Port Inland at 21:16. Tug Undaunted and barge Pere Marquette 41 will be inbound later in the night, loaded at Alpena. The Calumet will return in the early morning after loading at Bruce Mines. It will be the second visit in only a few days for the river vessel.
Muskegon, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
All of Muskegon’s traffic came within the opening hours of the day. The US EPA’s Lake Guardian departed at 01:02, due next at Detroit, while the Wilfred Sykes steamed out of the piers less than an hour later at 01:48. The Sykes, empty after unloading stone at Verplank, moved south to Indiana Harbor. As such, this ends the run of the Sykes and the Kaye E. Barker following each other around the Great Lakes.
Port Dolomite, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
After leaving the dock around 04:00 and getting underway for Cleveland, Sam Laud met inbound corporate fleetmate Manitoulin arriving for stone of her own at the Carmeuse Cedarville Operation. Mani (This name taken?) was headed downbound Lake Huron shortly after 21:00 with an unlisted destination.
Bruce Mines, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Calumet departed for Grand Haven a little before 01:00; Lower Lakes Towing fleetmate Michipicoten anchored off the peninsula late Tuesday night after spending the day seemingly killing time out on the lake.
Meldrum Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Innovator cleared 06.14 Tuesday upbound to Chicago with salt. Algoma Buffalo cleared 18.23 Tuesday upbound for Zilwaukee with salt. Algoma Compass arrived 10.13 Tuesday loading at Compass Minerals.
Stoneport, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Manitowoc literally slipped under the AIS radar, suddenly appearing in the middle of Lake Huron and headed downbound for Cleveland following a departure at some point overnight. Olive L. Moore/Menominee arrived for more stone at 14:00 and headed back south for Bay City around 22:45.
Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
An even 00:00 was the departure time for asphalt/bitumen tanker Iver Bright, heading up the Detroit River on the return trip to Sarnia after spending some time at Detroit’s Mistersky fuel dock. Portuguese-flagged saltie Johanna G docked diagonally at Morterm Windsor around 06:30, American Mariner arrived Carmeuse from Calcite at 17:11, and just like that, the day’s activity had already come to an end. Sea Eagle II now appears to be nesting on the Rouge.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: ASC’s Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. arrived at 17:47 to unload coal at DTE.
Toledo, OH: Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder departed at 00:06 for Cleveland. Arrivals were John J. Boland at 06:11 and Victory/ Maumee at 10:49.
Sandusky, OH: Cuyahoga arrived at 16:51 to load coal at Norfolk Southern.
Cleveland, OH: Polsteam’s Isa departed late Monday night. Cuyahoga arrived at 00:22, unloaded at Shelly Materials and departed for Sandusky at 12:34. Cruise ship Ocean Voyager arrived at 07:32, and docked at the Port dock 28W. After the passengers toured Cleveland, the ship departed for Detroit at 18:06. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder arrived at 09:19 to load salt at Cargill.
Fairport Harbor, OH: John J. Boland left late Monday night for Toledo. CSL Tadoussac departed at 13:17 with salt for Toronto.
Ashtabula, OH: Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson
Erie, PA: Victory/ Maumee left late Monday night for Toledo.
Nanticoke, ON: Florence Spirit is at Stelco and Algoscotia is at Imperial Oil. Algonorth arrived at 01:32 and went on the hook.
Hamilton, ON – Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority