Port Reports – September 29, 2022

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Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
With chilly temperatures, wisps of sea smoke, and spooky streaks of orange and black in the sky, the Duluth-Superior Harbor was in full-fledged fall spirit for the arrival of Spliethoff’s Floragracht at 06:00 sharp. Tug Kentucky assisted the saltie to Berth 2 at the port terminal, where the latter spent the rest of the day beginning to put her bagged cargo of quartz sand ashore. A limestone-laden H. Lee White was next inbound  as the sun came over the horizon around 07:00. After a quick trip down the bay, the laker was all tied up at Graymont ready to unload her cargo from Port Inland. Atlantic Huron brought up the rear on the morning arrivals with her 07:12 entry into the waters of Allouez Bay, where one does have to wonder if the cold weather will help to numb the pain of her broken nose, at least… 30,000 tons of Keetac pellets destined for Nanticoke were on the agenda for the CSL veteran’s agenda during this visit. 1,000-foot Burns Harbor had been occupying the dock just a few hours earlier, loading roughly twice as much cargo overnight before heading out for her namesake port in the early-morning hours.

No vessel passages were recorded during the afternoon and early evening; however, the plot thickened over in Superior with both CSL Assiniboine and Frontenac going to anchor to wait for their fleetmate Huron to finish loading. H. Lee White shifted across the harbor from Graymont to SMET in the meantime, where she will be taking on another load of petroleum coke for delivery along the Welland Canal. Action through both canals picked up minutes after 19:00 with a pair of primetime sunset departures; James R. Barker and her Cleveland-bound cargo were outbound from CN 6 with a trademark “Bark,” while Atlantic Huron cleared Superior to less fanfare. CSL Assiniboine pulled up the chain and got underway for her own turn at BNSF shortly thereafter. 

The highlight of the day, #1, would naturally be saved for last as the unmistakable profile of Stewart J. Cort came over the horizon for the first time this season. Much to the delight of boatwatchers, ol’ Stubby is all fired up and ready to haul ore from Superior to Burns Harbor for the rest of 2022 following an extended winter layup in Sturgeon Bay. Somewhat ironically, her first official Twin Ports entry would be made not in Superior, but through the Minnesota side of the harbor with a rare trip beneath the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge (not that any boatnerds are complaining) and subsequent docking across from Floragracht at the port terminal. She is expected to shift down to BNSF after taking some time to catch her breath. Return of the Cort leaves just one footer, the nearby Presque Isle, out of service at the moment while undergoing repairs at Fraser Shipyards. This may not be the case in a few days, as the integrated tug/barge now has her AIS active and is listed on the schedule for Two Harbors.

Two Harbors, MN – Silvery Bay, MN – Gary Putney
The Joyce L Vanenkevort is destined for Silver Bay to load taconite.

The Mesabi Miner is destined for Two Harbors to load taconite.

The Edwin H Gott is destined for Two Harbors to load taconite.

The Indiana Harbor is destined for Two Harbors to load taconite.

The Spruceglen is destined for Two Harbors to load taconite.

Marquette, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader departed at 09:14 after a lengthy stay. Once again, likely due in some part to gales on the lake. The duo will chug their way down to Cleveland to unload. In other traffic, the Hon. James L. Oberstar, one of the two most frequent visitors to Marquette arrived at 16:27 and had a quick turnaround to depart right at midnight. More unpredictable as of late, the Oberstar once again switched up her run to Superior, heading directly to Marquette without stone for Duluth. Variety is the spice of life, apparently also for steel giants. Speaking of variety, her next destination of Detroit’s Cliffs plant confused Marine Traffic a bit- like her Interlake counterpart Herbert C. Jackson’s destination of Florida a few weeks ago, the Oberstar is listed as an expected arrival for Cliffe, Great Britain. Unfortunately, like Herbie, the Oberstar will not be making a trans-Atlantic voyage for the ages. On the bright side, we get to keep her for ourselves. In other news, the other most common vessel to Marquette, the American Spirit is on its way up again from Toledo.

Port Dolomite, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Joseph L. Block arrived from Port Inland at 14:00 to take on the second half of a split-load stone cargo for Duluth. She began the voyage to the Zenith City just after 19:20. After taking a trip down the St. Marys River from Algoma Soo and killing some time out on the lake, Manitoulin was at the dock to commence her own load before the end of the night.

Bruce Mines, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Defiance/Ashtabula departed for Muskegon at 02:00.

Meldrum Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
AIS coverage in the area is sketchy, but Algoma Innovator appears to be loading at Lafarge.

Stoneport, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Algoma Buffalo came out from her hiding spot tucked away against the shore and arrived to load around noon, later departing for Windsor at midnight. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder, taking up the same position as the Buffalo since midafternoon, were headed to the dock at the same time to complete the exchange.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
John D Leitch cleared 13.21 Monday upbound for Chicago with salt.  Algoma Sault arrived at 15.38 Tuesday loading at Compass Minerals.  Algoma Compass arrived 08.36 Wednesday and tied up North Pier to load salt next.

Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Cuyahoga cast off from her moorings at Southwestern Sales West around 05:30 to head back to Marblehead, with Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin following her south an hour later with salt. The latter is currently on her way to Johnstown with a cargo dug up at the Ojibway Mine. Another downbound Canadian, Saginaw, cleared the Ambassador Bridge at about 09:20 before tying up at GIP Aggregates (formerly Coco) along Sandwich Street in Windsor. Yum! The classic laker passed beneath the Ambassador once again at 19:50, this time on her way back upbound for Lake Huron. Making her last appearance in the Motor City for 2022 was regal cruise ship Viking Octantis; she tied up at Nicholson before noon and just spent just the afternoon in port before continuing downbound for the Welland Canal, Toronto, and eventually the Big Apple. Rest assured, Octantis and her sister Polaris will be back to cruise the inland seas next summer. The only other traffic of the day was a stop by Victory/Maumee for fuel at Mistersky from 19:00 to a little after 23:00. Next stop: Soo.

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: American Century arrived at 20:40 to unload coal at DTE.
Toledo, OH: Wednesday arrivals were Victory/Maumee at 04:58, Kaye E. Barker at 05:32, American Spirit at 08:17 and Robert S. Pierson at 09:09. Departures were G.L. Ostrander/Integrity for Cleveland at 05:11 and  Victory/Maumee at 14:41.
Marblehead, OH: Cuyahoga seems to be on the “Marblehead shuttles” as she returned at 15:01 to load for a third time this week. Herbert C. Jackson arrived at 19:27 and anchored.
Lorain, OH: Kaye E. Barker departed late Tuesday night for Toledo. Herbert C. Jackson arrived at 06:38 and unloaded at Holcim (the former LaFarge dock). After unloading she left for Marblehead at 15:01.
Cleveland, OH: G.L. Ostrander/Integrity arrived at 13:28 and unloaded at Holcim Cement.  Federal Yukon departed for Burns Harbor, IN at 15:34.
Fairport Harbor, OH: CSL Tadoussac arrived at 04:00 to load at Morton Salt.
Buffalo, NY: John J. Boland arrived at 09:13 and New York/Double Skin 509A departed for Detroit at 12:08.
Nanticoke, ON: CSL Tadoussac weighed anchor and departed for Fairport Harbor. Algocanada left at 04:51 for Sarnia.  CSL Niagara berthed at Stelco at 00:04, unloaded ore and then departed for Sandusky at 13:09. Harvest Spirit is loading at Stelco.

Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
The John J. Boland arrived on the rainy and foggy morning of the 28th with sand at 9:30AM. She needed to lighter the boat to get up to 23’ draft so they came in the South Entrance to meet the tug Vermont off the entrance to the Lackawanna Canal. They got themselves slightly out of position so when the tug arrived, she took a stern line, got them lined up, and helped them dock on the concrete wall about half way down the West side of the slip. The Vermont was released and the Boland started unloading there. Around 10AM the New York got underway from Suite Kote in Tonawanda from the notch of the DS509A and departed for the lake. After transiting the Black Rock Lock upbound, they went out the North Entrance and switched their tow around near Windmill Point. From there, the tug took her barge on a wire and left for Detroit. Around 3PM the Boland was done at Gateway, departed for the lake, and then met the Vermont at the North Entrance. They then proceeded up to the CSI landing on the Buffalo Ship Canal to finish unloading their sand cargo there.

Next up will be the NACC Capri with cement for Holcim later this evening around 8PM.

While we do not currently have daily write-ups for the following ports, their respective port authority websites post schedules of vessel traffic that are embedded below. Each schedule takes the form of a miniature webpage within a box – scroll with your cursor within the box (or slide your finger within the box on a mobile device) to move through the schedule as you would a normal webpage. To move up or down the actual Port Reports page itself, make sure your cursor/finger is outside of the box.

Green Bay, WI – Port of Green Bay
Click on vessel image for voyage info.

Hamilton, ON – Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority
Scroll past AIS map for arrival/departure schedule.