Port and vessel activity from March 9, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
St. Marys River – Joshua Hebeisen
A bustling morning of activity near Lime Island saw USCGCs Katmai Bay, Bristol Bay, and Mackinaw joined by their Juniper-class fleetmate Hollyhock. From there, the icebreaking quartet would eventually part ways: Katmai headed north for the Soo, Bristol cleared the river southbound for the Saginaw River, Mackinaw remained close to Lime, and Hollyhock set course back to Port Huron, MI, before the night was up.
Calumet Harbor, IL – Anonymous
Caroline McKee/Commander offloading storage cement from winter storage at St. Mary Chicago. Due to depart on 3/10 @ 09:00 back to storage dock possibly.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
A busy day on Lake Erie as the Vane Bros. tug and barge New York/Double Skin 509A arrived at the Marathon terminal in Tonawanda, NY to unload liquid asphalt. H. Lee White arrived in Erie, PA and with assistance from G tug New Jersey went into drydock at Donjon Marine. Algocanada and Algosea are both loading petroleum products at Imperial Oil in Nanticoke, ON. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder is still running the Cuyahoga River shuttles for Cliffs. Coast Guard cutter Morro Bay departed Cleveland for western Lake Erie and the Detroit River. Harvest Spirit arrived in Monroe, MI, unloaded steel coils at the Port dock and then left for Sault Ste. Marie, ON.
Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
The New York/DS509A arrived off Buffalo with hot asphalt from Detroit at 9AM. They made it down to Tonawanda on the Niagara River and tied up at the Suit Kote pier at 10:45AM. They should be headed back out towards the lake tomorrow morning. If the weather is as bad as the forecast says, they’ll be waiting in Buffalo either at the upper tie up wall of the Black Rock Lock or possibly in the Outer Harbor Anchorage before departing for Detroit.
McKeil Marine’s Harvest Spirit heads onto Lake Huron for a trip up to the Soo. Paul Murray image, March 9