Port and vessel activity from March 22, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
St. Marys River – Joshua Hebeisen
The Poe Lock was back in action bright and early Wednesday morning with USCGC Katmai Bay receiving a lift up to Lake Superior sea level at 07:30. The icebreaking tug would do her thing along West Pier and the new lock construction site before setting course farther west for Whitefish Bay, making more trails in the ice before eventually going to anchor Wednesday evening. CCGS Samuel Risley, also in the Whitefish area, got going at 09:30 along the shoreline for a trip to Thunder Bay, ON.
Back at the Soo, USCGC Mackinaw cleared the Poe at 17:00 and began the journey north to the Twin Ports. USCGC Morro Bay arrived from farther down the St. Marys River at 13:56 to hold down the fort in the meantime.
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
The first of Bay Ship’s winter fleet is officially on the move following the departure of 1,004-foot Edwin H. Gott at 11:49 Wednesday morning. She easily projects to win the race to the Soo and will likely be first in the Poe come 00:01 Saturday.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Conveyor cleared winter layup 20:24 Tuesday from Sarnia, downbound Cote Ste Catherines, salt loaded previously in Goderich.
Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
After a long few months, it’s finally starting to feel like March Madness in the Motor City!
Just over an hour after midnight, Detroit was graced with the presence of beauty queen Kaye E. Barker for the first of what should be many times this season. The classic laker arrived in the dark of night with a load of Sandusky, OH, coal for EES Coke, settling back into a common trade route we see her make throughout the year. At 08:12, Iver Bright, a frequent visitor throughout the offseason, was back again Marathon on the River Rouge to unload product from Sarnia, ON. Kaye would eventually depart downbound for Toledo, OH, at 09:26.
The evening hours saw a pair of newly-awakened lakers arriving for fuel at Mistersky. Superior, WI-bound American Integrity made port at 17:52, followed immediately by John J. Boland at 22:30 following the footer’s departure.
Across the river, Whitefish Bay is loading at Windsor Salt amidst a workers’ strike at the facility.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Things are beginning to get busy on Lake Erie.
Monroe, MI: New York/Double Skin 509A is still unloading at the Port dock.
Toledo, OH: Departing layups were James R. Barker and American Integrity, both on their way to Duluth. The Barker is taking an “engine break” on the lake before heading north. At anchor in Lake Erie are Algoma Transport, CSL Assiniboine and Kaye E. Barker, all waiting to head into Toledo. Loading are Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader and Herbert C. Jackson.
Ashtabula, OH: John J. Boland departed layup for Marquette, MI.
Nanticoke, ON: Algoterra departed with petroleum products for Sarnia, ON. Algonova is at Imperial Oil and fleetmate Algosea is anchored off of Port Dover. Leonard M/Huron Spirit is at Stelco loading steel coils.
Welland Canal – Joshua Hebeisen
With the upbound lockage of CSL St-Laurent on Wednesday morning, Canada Steamship Lines has now claimed the honor of first boat through the Welland Canal in back-to-back years. Last season’s recipient of the famed top hat was coincidentally CSL Welland, sister of the St-Laurent. The company is going to have to start building a baby boat in a hurry if they want to make it a sibling three-peat in 2024…
The St-Laurent will be making a rare trip to Superior, WI, for an early-season load of taconite pellets.
While we do not currently have daily summaries for the following ports, their respective port authority websites post schedules of vessel traffic that are featured below. Each schedule is a miniature webpage within a box. Scroll with your cursor in 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.
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- G-tugs Kentucky and Missouri break ice at Fraser Shipyards in Superior, WI, to prepare for the harbor’s first movement of the season. Paul Scinocca image, March 22
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- USCGC Katmai Bay heads upbound out of the Poe Lock under a pretty pink sky. David Kaye image, March 22
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- Breaking ice a little later in the morning with color drained from the sky. David Kaye image, March 22
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- Edwin H. Gott prepares to leave her winter friends at Sturgeon Bay, WI, as the yard’s first boat out of lay-up. Todd Haltaufderheid image, March 22
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- Onwards and upwards to Two Harbors, MN! Todd Haltaufderheid image, March 22
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- Whitefish Bay slows her speed beneath the Detroit, MI, skyline before making the turn into Windsor Salt. Andrew Dean image, March 21
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- CSL St-Laurent is all decked out with flags for the opening of the Welland Canal. Bobby Dzz image, March 22
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- The vessel sits tall and proud while being raised in the lock. Bobby Dzz image, March 22, 2023