Port Reports – March 27, 2023

Port and vessel activity from March 26, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Scott Bjorklund
Duluth Entry
American Integrity, scheduled to load at BNSF, anchored off Duluth around 04:11 (central) Sunday morning. Joseph L. Block was welcomed by dozens of boatwatchers at 08:58 as Duluth’s first arrival from the lower lakes; the Block made its way to the conveyors at CN#6 to load taconite pellets for Cleveland. As of Sunday evening, Joseph L. Block was still loading at CN while American Integrity waited at anchor for BNSF. Joseph L. Block is expected to depart late Sunday or early Monday for Cleveland. Paul R. Tregurtha is expected to arrive Monday early evening for their first load of low sulfur coal this season.

Superior Entry
The “Burns Harbor Express”, Stewart J. Cort, crawled past Superior Entry Lighthouse around 14:11 (Central) Sunday afternoon for the first BNSF#5 ore load of the season. As of Sunday evening, American Spirit was laid up at Elevator M and Stewart J. Cort was still loading at BNSF. The Cort is estimated to depart Superior late Sunday evening or early Monday morning. American Integrity will be next to load followed by CSL St. Laurent then Laura L. VanEnkevort.

Two Harbors, MN – Gary Putney
Edwin H. Gott departed Two Harbors on Sat. Mar 25 at approx 07:09 for Gary. Next in line to load in Two Harbors are the CSL Laurentien and Great Republic.

Thunder Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
According to AIS, at least, the Canadian head of the lakes had its first arrival and departure of the 2023–2024 shipping season in somewhat anticlimactic fashion. Early in the afternoon of Friday, March 24, Tim S. Dool left her winter berth at Keefer Terminal for a leisurely stroll down the lake-side length of the breakwall. This was apparently enough for MarineTraffic to register a 14:13 departure, but the rebellious cool Dool had other plans, instead arriving at 16:03 via the most eastward opening to tie up at the Richardson Main elevator. Just like that, Thunder Bay officially welcomed its first unofficial ship into port. CSL Welland would also leave Keefer for a brief shift to Viterra Elevator A in the inner harbor, departing at 18:21 Saturday night with no listed destination.

The Thunder Bay Port Authority, on the other hand, officially recognized the first visitor of the season as McKeil Marine’s Harvest Spirit. Arriving at 05:06 Sunday for the Superior Elevator, the vessel began taking on a load of canola while her captain received some new headwear in the annual top hat ceremony.

The Dool would finish up her weekend load early Sunday afternoon and seemingly clear the breakwall for good at 13:20… Early season bugs had other ideas, however, and the vessel would only make it as far as Isle Royale before turning around and re-entering port for the Midcontinent Terminal at 21:37. Harvest Spirit may have received the top hat, but the Dool already sits firmly atop the leaderboard with two port calls this season.

In the meantime, Algoma Harvester arrived for Richardson Current River at 18:28, and Harvest Spirit departed for Windsor, ON, at 21:02. CCGS Samuel Risley has been busy keeping things open in the harbor.

Marquette, MI – Anonymous
“Marq Madness” is officially upon us, with a flurry of traffic out of everyone’s favorite non-western Lake Superior ore port to begin the year. The John J. Boland was joined at the dock by Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader at 13:37, before the former departed at 19:17 after a 29 hour load. The Hon. James L. Oberstar will make her first of many arrivals this season in the very early morning Monday, and fleet mate Herbert C. Jackson will follow in a few days after departing Burns Harbor.

Indiana Harbor, IN – Andrew Meyer
Fairly infrequent visitor Whitefish Bay arrived at 0654. She’d be followed by the hardworking ATB Undaunted and Pere Marquette 41 at about 1900 hours.

Burns Harbor, IN – Andrew Meyer
Two classics composed Sunday’s traffic in Burns. The Wilfred Sykes departed at 1002, destined for Cleveland, a rare port of call for her. Her patterns have suggested that Twin Ports trips have a corollary to her trips to the lower lakes, in part due to the grade of limestone she delivers to Graymont. So, stay tuned to AIS! Herbie, fully loaded, arrived at 1638. Her next destination is Marquette. 

St. Joseph – Benton Harbor, MI – Michael Moran
No boats have visited yet this season, with three delayed due to weather, river currents, or operational factors. We expect arrivals for both Holcim and Central Dock within the week. Dock 63 should have their first arrival by mid-April. Outer harbor dredging is expected to begin by mid-April. The contract for the inner harbor dredging is still being actively worked on by the Corps of Engineers.

Muskegon, MI – Anonymous
Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41 departed at 07:17 after an extended visit beginning on Friday evening.

Alpena, MI – Jason Luther
The evening of March 24th at 21:04 saw the return of the venerable Steamer Alpena to her namesake port after winter lay-up in Cleveland. After loading cement under the silos of Holcim, and waiting out a winter storm, she departed at 9:49 Sunday morning for Green Bay. 

Saginaw River, MI – Todd Shorkey
With the recent Northern Lights in the area and excitement about opening day the Soo Locks, it was almost missed that the G.L. Ostrander/Integrity were inbound on the Saginaw River, headed for the Holcim Cement Dock in Essexville on March 23rd. This was their first visit of the season and first with the new blue trim color on the tug and Holcim logos on the barge.

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Departing were James R. Barker for Duluth and Leonard M/Huron Spirit for Sault Ste. Marie.
Toledo, OH: CSL Assiniboine left for Hamilton, ON. Samuel deChamplain/Innovation weighed anchor for Cleveland. Kaye E. Barker arrived to load at CSX. Sam Laud remains anchored.
Sandusky, OH: Florence Spirit is loading coal at Norfolk Southern.
Cleveland, OH: Samuel de Champlain/Innovation arrived to unload at Holcim Cement’s Elm St. terminal.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Frontenac is loading at Morton Salt.
Nanticoke, ON: Sarah Desgagnes is at Imperial Oil. Algoterra and CSL Niagara remain anchored. Algoma Transport weighed anchor and is on her way to Hamilton.

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.