Coast Guard begins Operation Taconite icebreaking operations
SAULT STE. MARIE, MI — U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes commenced Operation
Taconite on Wednesday to prevent newly-formed ice from hindering commercial traffic.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Spar is assigned to manage the ice breaking needs of western Lake
Superior, specifically the twin ports of Duluth, MN and Superior, WI. As ice coverage expands,
U.S. Coast Guard officials will assign additional ice breakers.
Operation Taconite is the Coast Guard’s largest domestic icebreaking operation. The operation
encompasses Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the St. Marys River, the Straits of Mackinac, and
Georgian Bay. Various commercial waterways may close after due consideration is given to the
protection of the marine environment, the need for cross-channel traffic (e.g., ferries) and the
safety of the island residents, who during their daily business use naturally formed ice bridges
for transportation to and from the mainland.
The implementation of Operation Taconite places additional movement criteria on commercial
vessels transiting the area of operation. These measures may include restricting tanker transits
to daylight in the presence of ice, reducing speeds by 2 miles per hour in specified locations to
reduce incidental ice breaking, and requiring additional voice and position reporting points
throughout the operation’s area of responsibility. The Coast Guard recommends all recreational
ice users plan their activities carefully, use caution on the ice, and stay clear from shipping
channels.
USCG
NEWS 11
Trade organizations stop selling American Queen Voyages over service issues
Several trade organizations – including Signature Travel Network, Pleasant Holidays and AAA
Travel – have stopped selling American Queen Voyages trips because of service issues, reports
Travel Weekly. In addition, Virtuoso has taken the U.S. cruise line off its preferred supplier list.
American Queen Voyages declined to comment for Travel Weekly’s story. American Queen has
operated two vessels on the Great Lakes the last several summers but announced last year it
was exiting the market, with the Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager now for sale.
The issues range from late commissions to problems with customer service and refunds,
according to Travel Weekly. Travel advisors told the publication their clients also dealt with
poor communication, late-issued travel documents and pre-cruise package mishandling,
including a last-minute pre-stay cancellation with no notice.
Trade organizations trace the issues back to “recent sales support and leadership changes” at
American Queen Voyages, according to a Jan. 3 statement to travel advisors from Julie Howard,
Signature’s vice president of cruise partnerships, as reported by Travel Weekly.
However, many clients also reported having positive onboard experiences during their cruises.
The trade organizations said they would consider resuming their partnerships with American
Queen Voyages, once the cruise line resolves the problems.
We stopped selling American Queen Voyages in November 2023 and have not resumed sales
to date due to service issues, said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, to Travel
Weekly. If outstanding service issues can be resolved, we will consider resuming sales.
American Queen Voyages provides domestic cruises on the Mississippi, Illinois, Columbia,
Snake, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers aboard its four river cruise ships. In addition, it offers
expedition cruises in Alaska and British Columbia, as well as Mexico and Costa Rica, aboard its
one expedition ship, the Ocean Victory.
The cruise line resulted from the September 2021 merger of American Queen Steamboat
Company and Victory Cruise lines by parent company Hornblower Group. This summer, the
company sold its two coastal ships, Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager, and announced it
would not return to the Great Lakes, where it had previously offered cruises.
Travel Pulse
Oats, cement, and modular housing notable shipping
season highlights for Duluth Seaway Port Authority
Duluth, MN – It has been a notable shipping season at the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
With less than a week remaining until intra-lake shipping on the Great Lakes ends with the
closure of the Soo Locks on Jan. 15, the port authority has numerous achievements to celebrate
this season.
The Duluth Seaway Port Authority experienced the longest international traffic season in the
port’s history, for a total of 277 days. The earliest oceangoing arrival in port history – the
Federal Dart, carrying cement, arrived on Mar. 28, 2023, and the Nordika Desgagnes, carrying
beet pulp pellets bound for Ireland, departed on Dec. 29, 2023.
In addition, total maritime tonnage is 4 percent ahead of the 2022-23 shipping season and
within 1 percent of the five-year average.
As of Nov. 2023, iron ore, the leading commodity traveling through the Duluth port, was
tracking 13.5 percent ahead of last year’s pace and 11.5 percent ahead of the five-year average.
The port of Duluth-Superior transports approximately 20 million tons of iron ore each shipping
season.
“It’s been a good season so far through Nov. 30, 2023,” said Jayson Hron, the director of
communication and marketing for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “We’re still in the midst of
it, hoping for a fantastic finish to the season.”
Each year, on average, the Duluth port reaches a benchmark of approximately 30-35 million
short tons. Given the shipping season so far, Hron said, “I would say it’s very likely that the total
tonnage will either reach or surpass that total this season.”
Grain, generally durum and spring wheat, is another leading commodity moving through the
port each season. However, a new grain made an interesting appearance during the 2023-24
shipping season, Hron said.
“I wouldn’t want to say it’s like unprecedented, but we haven’t had a lot of oats moving
through the Port of Duluth-Superior in the last 10 to 15 years,” he said. “It was fun to see that
type of grain come back on the docket if you will.”
Hron said factors such as the strength of the U.S. dollar and the price of grain on the global
scale significantly influence grain and other commodities moving through the port. “It’s been a
tough couple of years for grain through this port. But this year, we’ve seen a bit of an uptick,”
he said.
As of Nov. 30, grain was up 3 percent from the previous shipping season. “Hopefully, a
harbinger of good things for the future on the grain front,” Hron said.
While a wide variety of commodities and cargo move through the port, in addition to oats, Hron
said there have been a few other interesting noticeable trends during the season.
The port authority experienced an increase in cement and modular housing. While some of the
cement will remain in the Midwest for infrastructure projects, a portion entering the port was
distributed into Alberta, Canada, for infrastructure projects. “So cement obviously has been a
big mover this year,” Hron said.
Modular housing arrived at the port this season to be transported to Quebec, Canada, where it
was then transported onto another ship that was brought to the Canadian Arctic. “So definitely
touching a large part of North America and the world as a whole with our import and export
activities through this port,” said Horn.
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Jayson Hron, the director of Communication and Marketing at
the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, to reflect on the highlights of the 2023-24 shipping season.
Audio from the interview is below.
Read more and listen to an audio version of this story here: https://wtip.org/oats-cement-and-modular-housing-notable-shipping-season-highlights-for-duluth-seaway-port-authority/?fbclid=IwAR31mt1KpFxlPTrScNNPqaEMHKgnQFQipcw1y68eu-gFy0tN9kdQRix-VEI
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