Port Reports – October 19, 2022

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Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Duluth-Superior is starting to clear out following several days of weather-induced confusion and delay. After sitting for a day with 68,000 tons of coal in her holds, American Century finally got underway from Midwest Energy late Monday night and cleared the Duluth Ship Canal at 00:08, setting course for a journey up and around Isle Royale on her way to St. Clair and Monroe. Humbergracht made an exit later in the morning at 07:41 after spending nearly a week in port discharging super sacks of quartz sand. The colorful saltie’s next destination – due north at Two Harbors – was simply unheard of, quite frankly… more on that later! Apparently satisfied with the changing conditions, Joseph L. Block got underway from anchorage about 30 minutes later to set out on the voyage to Burns Harbor.

Things were quiet until later in the evening when USCGC Spar departed her home station in Duluth on her next mission. The 19:04 exit saw the cutter heading for Salmon Trout Point on the western end of Lake Superior near Marquette. Federal Kumano, having moved from the inner anchorage to Berths 8/9 immediately after Humbergracht left the port terminal earlier in the day, would follow her out around 40 minutes later. Through the saltie unloaded just one piece of machinery during her brief stay at the dock, it was a big one – 250,000 tons, to be exact. Multiple heavy-lift cranes were on site to hoist the item, an industrial paper-making dryer from Antwerp, Belgium, ashore for transport just down the bay to West Duluth’s ST Paper mill. The plant is scheduled to reopen in 2023, and the delivery of this component is an essential step of the process. The Kumano is expected next in Thunder Bay, for her part. Fellow saltie Exeborg brought up the rear with a 19:53 departure of her own with beet pulp pellets for overseas. Samuel de Champlain/Innovation remain empty and tied up at Lafarge, ready to depart but waiting on the choppy seas.

Two Harbors, MN – Joshua Hebeisen
Tuesday was one for the record books in Agate Bay as Spliethoff’s general cargo vessel Humbergracht, fresh from Duluth, reportedly took the honor of being the first dedicated saltwater vessel to take on a load of iron ore pellets at Two Harbors. Her colorful brown paint scheme and the complementary hues provided by yellowish Heritage Marine tug Nels J. were a perfect match for the ample fall colors along the shoreline of the lake as the saltie made port and tied up alongside the shiploader. It is believed that she will be taking on approximately 10,000 tons of reclaimed taconite pellets for overseas shipment to Iceland or the United Kingdom. The historic arrival was logged at 09:43.

Port Dolomite, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
A 02:22 Manitowoc departure for Ludington was followed by a 03:33 arrival of tug Victory, pushing barge Maumee, from anchorage and for a load of stone.

Bruce Mines, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Algoma Intrepid departed for the Windy City at 08:30, through will undoubtedly be experiencing some strong gusts out on the lake as well.

Thessalon, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Michipicoten left anchorage for Marine City at 20:00.

Stoneport, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Mystery ship solved? AIS appeared to show Sam Laud underway from the area for Monroe at 17:00.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Barbro G and Cuyahoga continue at elevators  Algoma Compass continues at Compass Minerals. Algoma Niagara expected next for salt.

Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Windsor was treated to a midnight Munson early Tuesday morning with a midnight arrival of the veteran laker at Lafarge to unload aggregate. Another classic favorite in Frontenac showed her pretty face an hour later, also to unload stone, in three different locations spread between GIP Aggregates and Miller Aggregates Southwest. It is possible she topped off the gas tank during the process as well. Fronty got underway for Fairport at 19:00 but is currently sitting at anchor in Lake Erie. Calumet arrived from Cleveland at 07:33 for Morton Salt, later shifting to Mistersky in the evening to fuel, while Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader delivered a load of coal to EES Coke at 10:11. Munson made her way to Mistersky around the same time to fuel up before departing for Calcite. Calumet was outbound for Marinette at 22:55. Alpena remains at Holcim unloading cement and/or waiting out the weather; Harvest Spirit is across the river at ADM.

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Mesabi Miner remains at anchor
Toledo, OH: Departures were Clyde S .VanEnkevort/Erie Trader for Detroit at 05:43 and Evans Spirit for Oshawa at 01:30 Arthur M. Anderson is at anchor.
Sandusky, OH: Blair McKeil departed for Grand Anse at 17:53.
Cleveland, OH: Departures were Calumet late Monday night for Detroit and Federal Hudson for Sault Ste. Marie. American Courage is on the shuttles. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder and NACC Argonaut remain anchored.
Nanticoke, ON: CSL Niagara arrived at 09:38 and anchored along with Algonorth, Algosea and the tug Albert and barge Margaret.

Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
The Puna made an attempt to approach Lackawanna at 7AM and meet the New Jersey and Vermont at the South Entrance, but conditions were still too rough so they turned around just West of the Safe Water Beacon and went back to the Port Colborne Anchorage with the NACC Capri.

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.