Port Reports – December 12, 2022

Unless where otherwise noted, port and vessel activity from December 11, 2022. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
American Integrity was a 02:16 arrival in Superior on Sunday morning, settling in at BNSF Dock 5 to gobble up some Hibtac pellets throughout the remainder of the day. About three hours later, fellow footer James R. Barker came off the lake and inbound the Duluth piers with lights glowing bright in the morning darkness and holds empty in preparation for a load of coal at SMET. Also glowing up in the pilothouse was a certain little moose’s heart with Christmas cheer and – quite literally – his snazzy new holiday sweater. This would, of course, be everyone’s favorite Cervidae captain on the Great Lakes, Moosey Smith. Be sure to check out the gallery for a picture of his latest stuffed shenanigans.

Following the Barker inbound at 06:59 was Polsteam’s Jamno, arriving empty after a trip to Thunder Bay. Tugs Missouri and Kentucky assisted her to CHS 1, where she will spend the next few days loading wheat beneath the elevators. Duluth welcomed in another saltie at 17:03 in Wagenborg’s little Ebroborg. She would also head into Wisconsin waters for Viterra (ex-Gavilon) and a load of beet pulp pellets.

The Barker would depart at 17:48 with 58,000 tons of coal and a big Barker Bark, potentially the last one we’ll hear this season with Captain Brad Newland scheduled for a much-deserved winter break. Fleetmate Paul R. Tregurtha was next in line at SMET after a 21:46 arrival, though she first stopped at Superior Refining to fill up her tank. Another footer, Indiana Harbor, remained loading at CN Dock 6 all day. Joseph L. Block went to anchor off the piers at about 18:45 to wait her turn.

Two Harbors, MN – Joshua Hebeisen
Getting a little change of scenery at Agate Bay instead of Allouez, Burns Harbor wrapped up an overnight load of taconite at CN Dock 2 and cleared the breakwater at 00:54. Her destination, Indiana Harbor, will also mark a departure (no pun intended) from the weekly trips to her namesake port. Edwin H. Gott woke up from her snooze out on the lake to come in about 30 minutes later; she would be back on the road for Gary at 16:58. 

Marquette, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
It was a tug and barge kind of day on Sunday. Victory/Maumee joined the Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader at 06:56, only to see her buddy leave just an hour later at 08:10 for Toledo. Alas, friend”ships” can be hard to come by; reality comes “barge”ing in by way of a busy schedule, leaving only a story that “tugs” on your heartstrings. In other news, the Wilfred Sykes and Lee A. Tregurtha will both be making visits in the next day or two, in that order.

Marinette, WI – Menominee, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
“Sweet” saltie Caroline arrived at 13:22 with catwalk parts for Marinette Fuel & Dock.

Southern Lake Michigan Ports – Andrew Meyer
South Chicago, IL: A Sunday late morning arrival by the Pere Marquette and her tug, Undaunted, marked the only traffic of the day for the windy city. Seemed fitting considering the Bears have a bye week too.
Indiana Harbor, IN: Besides a good amount of tug traffic, the Manitowoc has moved through the port with a 0749 arrival on Saturday, and an 0100 departure on Sunday.
Buffington, IN: Text
Gary, IN: Stripe sisters Edgar B. Speer and John G. Munson have visited Gary this weekend with Two Harbors ore. The Speer arrived late on Friday evening, and departed mid morning on Saturday, while the Munson would arrive at 1621 on Saturday and depart in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Burns Harbor, IN: After spending a rather lengthy 36 hours in port, the Stewart J. Cort finally departed in the early hours of Saturday morning, December 10. The only other weekend traffic was the departure of the Federal Oshima at 2241 on Saturday evening. The Mark W. Barker is making what might possibly be her first arrival at Burns Harbor sometime early Monday morning.

St. Joseph – Benton Harbor, MI – Michael Moran
1 arrival was recorded last week. On 06 December the tug Matt Allen brought the tender Jessica Joy, a small crane barge and several thousand feet of dredge pipe. Shoaling in the harbor entrance continues to render the harbor restricted to all large commercial traffic. A dredge bid was awarded to King Company of Holland, MI, to clear a path through the shoal and to fully dredge in the spring. The dredge Buxton II has begun the dredging process and continues to work as weather allows.

Port Dolomite, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Saginaw arrived the Carmeuse Cedarville Operation at 02:05, backing her way up to the dock with telescoping hatches open and awaiting a cargo of stone. Lower Lakes Towing’s classic workhorse would swing her A-frame boom back into place and depart for Sombra at 19:01.

Calcite, MI – Andrew Meyer
Calcite seems to be the only limestone port of the three that I report that has seen much over the weekend. Five vessels have been in port since Friday. Interlake sisters Kaye E. Barker and Lee A. Tregurtha made port on the afternoon of December 8, and would both depart over the course of the day on Friday. Saturday morning saw the classic Philip R. Clarke make port just before noon; the Clarke would spend the next 22 hours loading. Her departure for the north, in what may be one of the last limestone loads for her this season, was followed nearly immediately by the Canadian vessel Manitoulin, making a fairly infrequent arrival into Calcite to load. Sunday also saw the Herbert C. Jackson arrive at 1006. 

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Departing was Mesabi Miner for Duluth-Superior and Leonard M/Huron Spirit for Sault Ste. Marie.
Sandusky, OH: Algoma Niagara arrived late Sunday morning to load coal.
Cleveland, OH: Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. finished unloading at the Bulk Terminal and departed for Two Harbors, MN. Arrivals were Algoma Buffalo to load salt at Cargill and Polsteam’s Isadora, going to Dock 24W to unload steel coils and skids. Federal Clyde is at Port Dock 26W and American Courage is running shuttles.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Toronto is stockpiling the salt as CSL’s Frontenac loaded for another trip there.
Ashtabula, OH: Lee A. Tregurtha arrived at 04:11, unloaded stone and departed for Marquette, MI when empty. Arrivals were Cuyahoga and the saltie Greenwing while Ocean Castle departed for Port Weller, ON.
Conneaut, OH: Arthur M. Anderson loaded ore for Gary, IN.
Buffalo, NY: Defiance/Ashtabula departed at 07:16.
Nanticoke, OH: Once empty, the Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin left for Two Harbors, MN. Algosea departed with petroleum products for Sarnia, ON. Weighing anchors were Harbour Fountain and Algoterra to Imperial Oil and Harvest Spirit to Stelco to load steel coils. Arriving and going to anchor were Paul A. Desgagnes and Algonova.

Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
The Defiance shifted from the Gateway Metroport West Pier to the CSI landing via the lake around midnight. They departed stern first for the lake with the Vermont towing them down to the Outer Harbor, winded, and departed at 7AM.

Next up on the list is the Mariner, who is still docked at the loading elevator in Thunder Bay as of early Sunday morning. It’ll be 3 days to Buffalo once she departs TB.

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.