Port Reports – November 9, 2022

Port and vessel activity from November 8, 2022.

Please send port reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Interlake Steamship Company’s James R. Barker flawlessly threaded the Duluth Ship Canal at 05:50 Tuesday morning under the expert command of Captain Moosey Smith, radio in hand and hooves at the controls. In what appears to have been a mutiny of sorts over the weekend, the adorable little critter forced Human Captain Brad Newland to walk the plank (unconfirmed) and assumed control of the 1,004-foot vessel for himself. Captain Smith appears to be a natural at ship handling and has already mastered all of the gadgets in the pilothouse, including the whistles… as if his cuteness wasn’t enough, the antlered adventurer’s big salute to the Aerial Lift Bridge proved his Bark game is strong as well. Moosey spent the day watching Westerns in the galley and pumping iron in the gym while his vessel loaded ore for Cleveland throughout the day at CN 6. The dock had plenty of time to prepare after days of weather-related delays, and the process was done in relatively quick manner by about 22:00. A 23:02 departure capped off a successful first trip to the Twin Ports for the stuffed sensation, who will most surely be welcomed back to the northland by boatnerds with open arms whenever that may be. See below for pictures of some of Moosey’s adventures this week aboard the JRB…

In non-Moosey traffic (which seems pretty insignificant at this point), Fagelgracht flipped in her slip at the port terminal around 06:30 to get in better position to finish unloading her two-part cargo. While her starboard-side, deck-mounted cranes had been on the far side of the dock overnight to allow heavy-duty cranes ashore to hoist off heavy wind turbine components, they are now adjacent to the pier and assisting in the removal of bagged quartz sand from her below-deck holds. Inbound traffic would not resume until 16:42 with the arrival of American Integrity for coal at SMET. Two hours later, USCGC Spar returned home following a tour of fall buoy operations around the lake. Her services will soon be required in breaking ice in the weeks to come as the weather grows ever colder.

Classic-styled laker Saginaw paid a rare visit to Superior at 19:50. Fastened and secured at BNSF, A-frame boom swung off to starboard, and telescoping hatch covers opened wide, 18,000 tons of Keetac pellets began flowing into her holds in what should be a quick load for the Soo. Mesabi Miner made a 20:26 entrance via Duluth and went to wait on the eastern side of CN Dock 6, later shifting over to load after sister James R. Barker cast off in the late-night hours. Fivelborg is at Gavilon loading beet pulp pellets; Federal Katsura is still at Ash Grove pumping her holds of cement.

Marquette, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
Victory/Maumee arrived at 19:26, a very common visitor. Another tug/barge, the Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader will be making a visit soon, as well as the other LS&I frequenter Hon. James L. Oberstar as always.

Holland, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
Some backup created a relatively high amount of traffic on Tuesday. The Great Republic, one of Holland’s most frequent visitors, arrived at 10:27 to unload stone at Verplank, and she departed at 19:33 for Port Inland. She had been waiting out the weather in a sheltered area for a while before proceeding slowly across the lake. Meanwhile, the Manitowoc arrived at 16:07 after spending a day or so anchored outside the entrance due to bad conditions. She had previously been at Milwaukee.

Muskegon, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
The always lovely Kaye E. Barker arrived with a load of stone from Port Inland at 20:35, unloading at Lakeside Verplank. The Interlake classic has made consistent visits to Muskegon this year, typically once every week or two, and often back-to-back.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Miedwie (saltie Poland) cleared 09.05 Tuesday downbound for Rotterdam with grain. Algoma Sault arrived 20.35 Monday loading at Compass Minerals.

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Departing were Herbert C. Jackson for Alpena and Paul R. Tregurtha for Superior, WI.
Toledo, OH: Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader left late Monday night for Drummond Island. Mark W. Barker arrived at 00:24 to unload salt at the Toledo ARMS dock. Once empty, the Barker departed for Meldrum Bay at 16:18.
Marblehead, OH: Sam Laud loaded stone and departed for Marysville, MI. American Courage is at Holcim.
Sandusky, OH: American Mariner departed at 16:30 with more coal for Algoma Steel at the Soo.
Cleveland, OH: Algoma Buffalo arrived at Cargill at 09:20 to load salt. McKeil Spirit arrived at 15:43 to unload at Lehigh Cement. Departing at 16:55 was the Federal Champlain for Burns Harbor, IN.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Algoma Intrepid is anchored in Lake Erie.
Ashtabula, OH: Once empty, Algoma Buffalo departed at 03:21 for Cleveland.
Conneaut, OH: Indiana Harbor departed for the Twin Ports of Duluth/Superior.
Erie, PA: Algoma Innovator arrived at 16:17 to unload salt.
Nanticoke, OH: Departures were CSL Niagara for Superior, WI and Algoscotia for Dartmouth, NS. Algonorth arrived at 12:21 and went to anchor along with Algoma Hansa. Algocanada is at Imperial Oil. A late night arrival was Edwin H. Gott to Stelco.

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.