Boatnerd News

Port Report – January 19, 2026

Jan 19, 2026

Port and vessel activity for Sunday January 18.  Port reports done by Tom Geiger unless otherwise noted. Please send future port reports and pictures to news@boatnerd.net
You can Now visit Matt Miner’s Saltie page at  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/foreign-vessels-on-the-lakes-2024
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at;  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026/

PORT REPORT 1/20/2026

BECANCOUR, CANADA                             [CABEC]
DUE:
Harbour Feature-DUE-1/19/2026-10:16 AM
Vezhen-DUE-1/20/2026-5:01 AM
Cresty-DUE-1/25/2026-3:29 PM
Federal Trident-DUE-1/27/2026-2:24 AM
Federal Baltic-DUE-1/31/2026-8:17 AM

BUFFALO,NEW YORK                                  [USBUF]-Bill Kloss
Victory/Maumee is laid up at the General Mills Frontier Elevator.

PORT COLBORNE,CANADA                    [CAPCO]-Bill Kloss
Laid up for the winter are Algoma Buffalo, Algoma Innovator, Radcliffe R. Latimer and Frontenac.

NANTICOKE, ONTARIO                             [CANAN]-Bill Kloss
DUE:
Alcocanada-DUE-1/19/2026-3:08 AM

ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA                                 [USERI]-Bill Kloss
Kaministiqua and American Integrity are laid up at Donjon Marine and Presque Isle is laid up at Carmeuse.

ASHTABULA, OHIO                                      [USASF]-Bill Kloss
The layup fleet here includes Defiance/Ashtabula, Olive L. Moore/Menominee, Manitowoc, Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. and American Century.

CONNEAUT, OHIO                                       [USCDY]-Bill Kloss
American Spirit is at anchor in Lake Erie.

CLEVELAND, OHIO                                      [USCLE]-Bill Kloss
Wilfred Sykes departed for Detroit. Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader unloaded at the Bulk Terminal then left for Toledo. Sam Laud is on the shuttles.
1/18/2026  Candace Elise-ARRIVES-10:11 AM

TOLEDO, OHIO                                               [USTOL]-Bill Kloss
Laid up in various locations on the Maumee River are Paul R. Tregurtha, Kaye E. Barker, Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder, Great Republic, American Mariner, Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader, Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader, Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader, John G. Munson and Edwin H. Gott.

POINT PELEE, ONTARIO                           [CADLM]-Bill Kloss]
Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader John G. Munson departed for Toledo.

MONROE, MICHIGAN                                 [USMOI]-Bill Kloss
New York/Double Skin 509A is unloading at Michigan Paving.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN                                  [USDET]
1/18/2026  Wilfred Sykes-ARRIVES-10:58 AM
1/18/2026  Herbert C Jackson-ARRIVES-11:51 AM

WINDSOR, CANADA                                   [CAWND]
1/18/2026  Whitefish Bay-ARRIVES-12:36 PM

GODERICH, CANADA                                 [CAGOH]
1/18/2026  Algoma Intrepid-ARRIVES-12:08 PM
DUE:
Algoma Niagara-DUE-1/19/2026-4:22 AM

OWEN SOUND, CANADA                          [CAOWS]
1/18/2026  Judy LaMarsh-DUE-ARRIVES-4:58 PM
DUE:
Algoma Compass-DUE-1/18/2026-??

SARNIA,CANADA                                          [CASNI]
1/18/2026  CCGS Vincent Massey-DEPARTS-6:58 AM-For-Owen Sound, Canada
1/18/2026  Algocanada-DEPARTS-7:07 AM-For-Nanticoke, Canada
1/18/2026  Algoterra-ARRIVES-7:52 AM
1/18/2026  Algoberta-DEPARTS-10:46 AM-For-Green Bay, Wisconsin
DUE:
Baltic-DUE-1/19/2026-7:36 AM
Algonova-DUE-1/19/2026-8:52 AM

SAULT STE. MARIE                                        [CASSM]
1/18/2026  USCG Biscayne Bay-DEPARTS-12:22 PM-For-[ICE OPS]
1/18/2026  Algonova-DEPARTS-12:36 PM-For-Sarnia, Canada
1/18/2026  USCG Biscayne Bay-ARRIVES-6:51 PM

ESCANABA, MICHIGAN                            [USESC]
DUE:
Nickelena-DUE-1/18/2026-10:02 PM

STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN               [USSUE]
1/18/2026  Jimmy L-DEPARTS-7:05 AM-For-Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
1/18/2026  Jimmy L-ARRIVES-9:31 AM 
1/18/2026  Donald J Sarter-DEPARTS-8:44 AM-For-Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
1/18/2026  Jimmy L-ARRIVES-9:31 AM
1/18/2026  Jimmy L-DEPARTS-9:42 AM-For-Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
1/18/2026  Donald J Sarter-ARRIVES-10:01 AM
1/18/2026  Donald J Sarter-DEPARTS-10:15 AM-For-Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
1/18/2026  Erika Kobasic-DEPARTS-11:00 AM-For-Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
1/18/2026  Nickelena-DEPARTS-11:20 AM-For-Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
1/18/2026  USCG Mobile Bay-ARRIVES-12:26 PM
1/18/2026  Jimmy L-ARRIVES-12:29 PM
1/18/2026  Manitoulin-ARRIVES-12:35 PM
1/18/2026  Donald J Sarter-ARRIVES-12:36 PM
1/18/2026  Edgar B Speer-ARRIVES-2:51 PM
1/18/2026  Nickelena-ARRIVES-2:51 PM
1/18/2026  Erika Kobasic-ARRIVES-2:55 PM
DUE:
Donald J Sarter-DUE-1/18/2026-10:21 AM
Edgar B Speer-DUE-1/18/2026-11:32 AM

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN                         [USGRB]
DUE:
Algoberta-DUE-1/19/2026-8:15 PM

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN                      [USMKE]
1/18/2026  Calumet-ARRIVES-5:37 AM
1/18/2026  Calumet-DEPARTS-4:35 PM-For-Burns Harbor, Indiana
DUE:
Stewart J Cort-DUE-1/20/2026-7:00 AM

BURNS HARBOR, INDIANA                     [USBNB]
11/18/2026  Stewart J Cort-DEPARTS-3:21 PM-For-Milwaukee, Wisconsin
DUE:
Calumet-DUE-1/19/2026-1:04 AM
Lois M-DUE-1/18/2026-11:32 PM

Today in Great Lakes History – January 19

Jan 19, 2026

1824
1824:  On 19 January 1824, the Welland Canal Company was incorporated to build the first Welland Canal.

1901
1901:  DAVID M. WHITNEY (steel propeller freighter, 412 foot, 4,626 gross tons) was launched on 19 January 1901, by the Detroit Ship Building Company (Hull #138) in Wyandotte, Michigan, for the Gilchrist Transportation Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Renamed b.) EDWIN L. BOOTH in 1914, c.) G.N. WILSON in 1921, d.) THOMAS BRITT in 1928, and e.) BUCKEYE in 1943. She lasted until 1969, when she was scrapped in Spain.

1927
1927:  January 19, 1927 – The Grand Trunk carferry MADISON was christened with a bottle of Wisconsin milk. She entered service in March of 1927.

1967
1967:   PERCEUR [Built-1919 At Chantier DE Penhoet Yards St. Nazaire, France Names: MANTES 1922-1922 France, ELMBAY 1922-1945 C-150841, SIDERURGICA DOIS 1945-1956 Brazil, SIMANSUR 1956-1967 Brazil]  As SIMANSUR Stranded near Barra Grande, in position 2.52.03S x 42.26W, on January 19, 1967, Belem for Chaval. Abandoned as constructive total loss, January 22, 1967

1987
1987:  CLARENCE B. RANDALL, the a.) J.J. SULLIVAN of 1907, was towed to Windsor, Ontario, on January 19, 1987, for scrapping.

1998
1998:  The Cypriot freighter FLARE was south of Newfoundland when it broke in two while inbound in ballast for Montreal. The stern section sank quickly. The bow drifted for several days before it too went down. Four members of the crew clung to an overturned lifeboat and were saved. The ship had been a Seaway trader as a) DORIC FLAME in 1977 and returned as b) FLAME in 1987 and as c) FLARE in 1993.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

Port Report – January 18, 2026

Jan 18, 2026

Port and vessel activity for Saturday January 17.  Port reports done by Tom Geiger unless otherwise noted. Please send future port reports and pictures to news@boatnerd.net
You can Now visit Matt Miner’s Saltie page at  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/foreign-vessels-on-the-lakes-2024
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at;  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026/

PORT REPORT 1/18/2026

BECANCOUR, CANADA                             [CABEC]
DUE:
Harbour Feature-DUE-1/19/2026-2:44 AM
Vezhen-DUE-1/20/2026-9:07 PM
Cresty-DUE-1/27/2026-11:56 PM
Federal Trident-DUE-1/29/2026-1:40 AM
Federal Baltic-DUE-1/31/2026-1:22 AM

ASHTABULA, OHIO                                      [USASF]-Bill Kloss
American Century arrived for layup.   

CONNEAUT, OHIO                                       [USCDY]-Bill Kloss
American Century departed for Ashtabula. American Spirit is anchored in Lake Erie.
DUE:
American Century-DUE-1/17/2026-4:30 PM

CLEVELAND, OHIO                                      [USCLE]-Bill Kloss
Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader departed to Point Pelee. Wilfred Sykes arrived at the Bulk Terminal with the last load from Dearborn.  Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader is anchored in Lake Erie and Sam Laud is on the shuttles.

TOLEDO, OHIO                                               [USTOL]-Bill Kloss
Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader and American Courage arrived for layup.
DUE:
New York /Double Skin 509A-DUE-1/17/2026-11:00 AM
John G Munson-DUE-1/17/2026-3:39 PM
Joyce L VanEnkevort-DUE-1/18/2026-11:19 AM
American Courage-DUE-1/17/2026-2:12 PM

POINT PELEE, ONTARIO                           [CADLM]-Bill Kloss]
American Courage left for Toledo. Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader and John G. Munson are anchored.

MONROE, MICHIGAN                                 [USMOI]-Bill Kloss
New York/Double Skin 509A arrived at Michigan Paving and Materials.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN                                  [USDET]
1/17/2026  New York / Double Skin 509A-DEPARTS-5:14 AM-For-Monroe, Michigan
1/17/2026  Leo A McArthur-ARRIVES-8:07 AM
DUE:
USCG Bristol Bay-DUE-1/17/2026-1:40 PM

WINDSOR, CANADA                                   [CAWND]
1/17/2026  Leo A McArthur-DEPARTS-8:06 AM-For-Detroit, Michigan
DUE:
Whitefish Bay-DUE-1/18/2026-12:00 PM

OWEN SOUND, CANADA                          [CAOWS]
DUE:
Algoma Compass-DUE-1/17/2026-8:00 AM

GODERICH, CANADA                                 [CAGOH]
DUE:
Algoma Intrepid-DUE-1/18/2026-11:50 AM

SARNIA,CANADA                                          [CASNI]
1/17/2026  CCGS Vincent Massey-ARRIVES-6:43 AM
1/17/2026  Algoberta-ARRIVES-12:36 PM
1/17/2026  CCGS Judy LaMarsh-ARRIVES-2:51 PM
DUE:
Algoterra-DUE-1/17/2026-5:46 PM
Baltic-DUE-1/19/2026-3:13 PM

PORT HURON, MICHIGAN                       [USPHN]
1/17/2026  USCG Neah Bay-ARRIVES-4:41 PM

CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN                        [USCHG]
1/17/2026  USCG Mackinaw-DEPARTS-8:44 AM-For-[ICE OPS]

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON
Algonova arrived at the Purvis Dock in the lower harbor to unload late Saturday afternoon. -Roger LeLievre

SAULT STE. MARIE                                        [CASSM]
1/17/2026  USCG Bristol Bay-ARRIVES-4:55 PM
1/17/2026  Algonova-DUE-ARRIVES-5:14 PM

STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN               [USSUE]
Manitoulin-DUE-1/18/2026-
Edgar B Speer-DUE-1/18/2026-3:44 AM

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN                         [USGRB]
1/17/2026  Baltic-DEPARTS-9:48 AM-For-Sarnia, Canada

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN                      [USMKE]
1/17/2026  CSL Niagara-ARRIVES-6:47 AM
DUE:
Calumet-DUE-1/18/2026-6:45 AM

SOUTH CHICAGO-CALUMET HARBOR, ILLINOIS       [USOUS]
1/17/2026  Nathan S-ARRIVES-10:46 AM

BURNS HARBOR, INDIANA                     [USBNB]
1/17/2026  Edgar B Speer-DEPARTS-1:14 PM-For-Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
DUE:
Lois M-DUE-1/19/2026-1:49 AM

INDIANA HARBOR-INDIANA                  [USECH]
1/17/2026  Karen Andrie-DEPARTS-6:45 AM-For-Monroe, Michigan
1/17/2026  Nathan S-DEPARTS-10:14 AM-For-Calumet Harbor, Illinois

Today in Great Lakes History – January 18

Jan 18, 2026

1906
1906:  The National Steamship Co. was incorporated January 18, 1906.

1925
1925:  JOHN RUGEE, a wooden steamer in the George Hall Coal Co. fleet, was destroyed by a fire while spending the winter at Ogdensburg.

1938
1938:  The passenger ship WAUBIC was damaged by a fire at Kingsville, Ontario, while at winter quarters. It was rebuilt at Port Dover later in the year as b) ERIE ISLE.

1942
1942:  LAKE FLAMBEAU was built at Duluth in 1919. It was sailing as c) FRANCES SALMAN when it was sunk by U-552 off the coast of Newfoundland with the loss of 28 lives.

1967
1967:  The CABOT was refloated on January 18, 1967. On December 16, 1966, while loading at Montreal, the CABOT rolled over on her side and sank. The CABOT’s stern section, used in the interim as the stern section of the b.) CANADIAN EXPLORER, is now the stern section of c.) ALGOMA TRANSFER.

1979
1979:  The MONDOC had her Canadian registry closed on January 18, 1979. The vessel had been renamed b) CORAH ANN and sold to Jamaican company. CORAH ANN was scrapped in 2003.

1983
1983:  The Greek freighter KIMOLIAKI PISTIS  [IMO-5235636] came through the Seaway in 1981. It caught fire on this date in 1983 and was abandoned enroute from Recife, Brazil, to a Black Sea port. The hull was towed into Piraeus, Greece, January 27 and declared a total loss. It first traveled to the Great Lakes as a) MINAS CONJURO in 1969 and then as b) EUGENIO in 1979. The vessel arrived at Split, Yugoslavia, for scrapping on February 21, 1984.

1998
1998: The second MAPLEGLEN caught fire in the engine room while in lay-up at Owen Sound and sustained about $40,000 in damage.

2004
2004:  On 18 January 2004, the Great Lakes Fleet’s 1,000 footer EDGAR B. SPEER became stuck in the ice in the Rock Cut in the St. Mary’s River. Over the next two days, the U.S.C.G.C. MACKINAW tried to free her, but unsuccessfully. On 21 January, the tugs RELIANCE, MISSOURI, JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR and JOYCE L. VAN ENKEVORT all coordinated their efforts under the direction of Wellington Maritime’s Captain John Wellington and got the SPEER free.

Boatnerd News January 17, 2026

Jan 17, 2026

The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026


Ports Toronto returns to its roots as the Toronto Port Authority

   TORONTO, ON – After operating as Ports Toronto for a decade, the organization that owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and is responsible for stewardship of Toronto’s harbour is returning to its roots and will once again be known as the Toronto Port Authority. This rebrand marks a return to its legal name and historic federal identity and signifies a renewed commitment to its legacy as a city builder, economic catalyst for the region and country, and owner and operator of Toronto’s national, multi-modal transportation gateways.
   This rebrand comes at a pivotal moment. The Toronto region is growing rapidly, and Canada is placing new urgency on resilient supply chains, modernized infrastructure, and sustainable urban mobility. At the heart of this shift is Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, one of the country’s most important urban airports and a major contributor to the region’s economic dynamism, the Port of Toronto, and the Cruise Ship Terminal, all of which are strategically positioned to support growth and strengthen Canada’s interconnected infrastructure network.
   “Reintroducing the Toronto Port Authority name is more than a rebrand –- it’s a powerful affirmation of our foundational purpose and our future vision,” said RJ Steenstra, President and CEO, Toronto Port Authority.
   “We honour our 115-year legacy as a city builder and steward of Toronto’s harbour, shaping the waterfront and enabling the city’s evolution. As the owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which provides critical business connectivity and a significant economic engine, as well as the Port of Toronto, which plays a vital role in ensuring resilient supply chains through imports of essential materials, the Toronto Port Authority plays a key role in economic growth for the future. This renewed identity reflects our commitment to modernization, sustainability, and public value for Toronto, Ontario, and Canada.”
   The Toronto Port Authority’s transportation gateways deliver substantial benefits to the region and the country:

  • Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport generates approximately $2 billion in annual economic output and supports more than 4,500 jobs, making it a key driver for Toronto’s economy.
  • Billy Bishop is set to launch U.S. CBP Preclearance in early 2026, facilitating bilateral trade, with additional destinations expected in 2026.
  • The Port of Toronto generates more than $460 million in economic activity for Ontario, importing critical materials like steel, cement, sugar, and road salt, securing resilient supply chains for the region.
  • Marine shipping through the Port removes more than 51,000 truckloads annually from GTA roads, significantly reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The Port of Toronto Cruise Ship Terminal welcomes nearly 20,000 visitors annually and contributes to a regional $280-million Great Lakes tourism economy, directly supporting Toronto’s hospitality, retail and cultural sectors.

   Located 10 minutes from downtown, The Outer Harbour Marina is one of Canada’s largest freshwater marinas and holds a Diamond designation in the Boating Ontario Clean Marine Eco-Rating Program, one of the highest ranking attainable for marinas that follow environmental best practices.
   The Toronto Port Authority’s integrated assets create a waterfront mobility network that moves people, goods, and visitors in ways few global cities can match. As the only port authority in Canada to own and operate an airport, Toronto Port Authority is uniquely positioned to pilot new approaches to harbour mobility and connectivity—mirroring innovations seen in leading waterfront cities around the world. This multi-modal approach not only drives economic growth and competitiveness but also advances sustainable, integrated urban transportation across the region.

[Maritime Magazine]  

A tough shipping season ends with Duluth’s Twin Ports facing stiff economic headwinds

   DULUTH, MN – When the Soo Locks, which connect Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes, closed for winter maintenance just before midnight Thursday, it marked the end to a difficult Great Lakes shipping season, especially for the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior, Wis.
   “It’s been a year of headwinds,” acknowledged Kevin Beardsley, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, noting that the total tonnage shipped will likely come in well below last year’s number.
   “There’s no single factor driving the decline. It’s a combination of market trends, shifting trade lanes and geopolitical forces,” said Beardsley.
   Less cargo means fewer ships, which are a huge draw for tourists who flock to Duluth every summer to see one thousand-foot-long ore boats and colorful ocean-going vessels, affectionately dubbed “salties,” glide under the Aerial Lift Bridge and through the city’s shipping canal.
   About 550 ships sailed into the Duluth-Superior port in 2025, compared to 688 vessels last year.
   There are several reasons for the slump in shipping out of the Twin Ports. The first round of bad news came last March, shortly after the shipping season got underway, when one of the huge taconite mines on Minnesota’s Iron Range announced it was temporarily closing. A second mine, Hibbing Taconite, also partially shut down. Nearly a year later, those facilities remain idled.
   Taconite pellets from the mines are shipped on trains to the Twin Ports, where they’re mounded into enormous piles and then loaded onto ships bound for steel mills around the Great Lakes. Iron ore makes up more than half the port’s cargo every year.
   But this year, iron ore shipments were down 16 percent due in part to fewer shipments to Canadian steel mills, because of the Trump administration’s trade conflict with Canada.
   The port suffered another blow at the end of August when agribusiness giant CHS, Inc. closed its grain terminal in Superior, Wis., With over 500 towering silos and 23 employees, the nearly century-old terminal was the largest grain facility in the Twin Ports.
   “It just truly is the end of an era,” said John Griffith, executive vice president of Ag for CHS. “There’s not any big problem that came to rise,” Griffith added. “It’s just that the world has changed.”
   For years, farmers in the northern plains have shipped durum and high-protein spring wheat by truck and by train to the Twin Ports. From there, it’s loaded onto “salties” that sail through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and then across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, where it’s made into high-end breads and pastries, pasta and couscous.
   But it’s now more efficient for CHS to load grain onto long, 120-car trains and send it to deep water ports in the Pacific Northwest or the Gulf Coast, Griffith said. The ships that call on those ports carry two and a half times as much grain as the ships that can make it through the Great Lakes’ lock and dam system.
   It’s a difference of “900,000 bushels versus 2.3 million bushels on a single vessel,” Griffith said. “And so you can just imagine the scale and the efficiency that comes with that.”
   The infrastructure on the Great Lakes isn’t large enough to allow ships of that size to pass through. They also sit much deeper in the water than what Great Lakes ports can accommodate.
   Those ships that pick up and haul grain from the Twin Ports also need to be carrying cargo to Duluth and Superior, to make the week-long sail through the St. Lawrence Seaway work economically. “It becomes very expensive to come in empty, which then makes the port less competitive with those big boats that are more efficient anyway,” said Griffith.
   The third piece of bad news came in the fall, when Midwest Energy Resources announced it would close its coal loading terminal in the Twin Ports in the summer of 2026. 56 employees will lose their jobs. In recent years, coal has made up about 15 percent of the total tonnage of cargo shipped out of the port.
   “That one was not a surprise, but still it’s significant,” said Daniel Rust, a professor of transportation and logistics management at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
   The facility opened 50 years ago. It received shipments of low-sulfur coal from the Power River Basin in Wyoming and Montana via rail and shipped it to coal-fired power plants around the Great Lakes.
   Coal shipments peaked in 2008. But they’ve since declined by about 75 percent as electricity is increasingly generated by cleaner-burning natural gas and by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
   “If that terminal doesn’t get some other operator to come in and it does just shutter and sit there empty, that’s a pretty big blow for the Twin Ports,” said Rust.

Break bulk cargo a bright spot   
   For more than 150 years, the Twin Ports have been a critical energy transportation hub in the heart of the country. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, coal and other supplies were shipped west to Duluth to support growing cities. More recently coal has moved in the opposite direction to eastern power plants that needed cleaner-burning fuel.
   And now the port has become a hub for the shipment of wind energy components. 2025 marked the 20th consecutive year the port has received shipments of turbine blades and other machinery that in turn gets loaded on trucks and trains and is shipped to wind farms around the upper Midwest.
   And despite the Trump administration’s animosity toward wind energy, the number of those shipments continue to grow in the Duluth port. “2026 is looking very promising for more project cargo such as wind,” said the Port Authority’s Beardsley, who notes that some of the blades and gear coming in are being used to repower older wind farms with newer equipment.
   Wind energy components are part of a broader category known as break bulk cargo that’s been a bright spot for the Twin Ports — large goods, like wind turbine blades, that can’t fit into standard shipping containers.
   In 2023, a new service was launched that provides monthly cargo shipping between Duluth and Antwerp, Belgium, Europe’s second largest seaport. That service was recently expanded to connect Mediterranean ports to Duluth.
   “We’ve seen continued growth in that area,” said Port Authority spokesperson Jayson Hron. “It’s helped bring more ocean going traffic into the port with various break bulk cargoes, and also some of those ships have then been able to sail from the port with grain.”
   The service can handle both the break bulk cargo and shipping containers, which can then be transported from Duluth via truck or train. It also allows for something known as “ship parceling.”
   “Which means you can partially load a ship,” explained Hron. “So if you’re a manufacturer or an operator here in Minnesota or Wisconsin, and you know that you really only have one or two or five containers to move to Europe with your goods, that’s fine.”
   The shipments have brought in huge pieces of machinery used in a Duluth paper mill and an Iron Range taconite mine. It’s also been used to export niche agricultural products like beet pellets and kidney beans.
   There’s real potential for continued growth in that service, said UW Superior’s Rust. But he said Great Lakes shipping will always be hindered by its harsh winters, which force shipping to shut down every year from mid-January to late March.
   “The seasonality of the Great Lakes I think is probably the greatest impediment to developing new supply chains, new cargoes that could be coming into the Twin Ports and exported from the Twin Ports,” Rust said.
   Rust added that the Twin Ports will likely soon lose its bragging rights as the busiest Great Lakes port, and will be surpassed by Chicago for shipping the most tonnage each year.
   “I think that’s going to be just psychologically, a real shift for the port,” Rust said.
   Still, port officials remain bullish. They’re hopeful that new markets such as sustainable fuels or copper nickel-mining could emerge. A new taconite mine, Mesabi Metallics, is also slated to open later this year.
   There’s also the prospect of growing the ship building and repair industry in the Twin Ports. Fraser Shipyards in Superior employs about 200 people. That workforce swells to around 600 this time of year, when ships need maintenance and repairs while they are laid up for the winter.
   The company also manufactures smaller watercraft, including a custom-built icebreaking ferry recently shipped to the Beausoleil First Nation in Canada.
   The company recently received an $800,000 federal grant to install a huge crane in its shipyard. CEO Patrick Kelly says the Great Lakes are an underused resource.
   “You talk to any vessel operator, tugboat operator, port terminal operator, and they’ll tell you they’re about 50 percent utilized. So we have great infrastructure. It’s not being used to its fullest capacity. Let’s find other businesses, other products to bring to the Great Lakes,” Kelly implored.
   That’s what the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and other agencies are trying to do. They’re buoyed by a simple geographic advantage the Twin Ports will always enjoy — its location as the farthest inland seaport in North America.
   “We know there’s opportunities out there, and we’re chasing them,” said Beardsley. “We just need some of these headwinds to become tailwinds.”

[MPR News]

Port Report – January 17, 2026

Jan 17, 2026

Port and vessel activity for Friday January 16.  Port reports done by Tom Geiger unless otherwise noted. Please send future port reports and pictures to news@boatnerd.net
You can Now visit Matt Miner’s Saltie page at  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/foreign-vessels-on-the-lakes-2024
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at;  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026/

PORT REPORT 1/17/2026

BECANCOUR, CANADA                             [CABEC]
DUE:
Harbour Feature-DUE-1/20/2026-1:41 AM
Vezhen-DUE-1/19/2026-4:34 PM
Cresty-DUE-1/26/2026-1:29 PM
Federal Trident-DUE-1/28/2026-10:34 AM
Federal Baltic-DUE-1/31/2026-5:13 AM

TORONTO,CANADA                                     [CATOR]
1/16/2026  Molly M I-ARRIVES-11:31 AM
1/16/2026  CSL Welland-DEPARTS-3:25 PM-For-Hamilton, Canada

HAMILTON,CANADA                                   [CAHAM]
1/16/2026  CSL Welland-ARRIVES-5:28 PM
1/16/2026  Molly M I-DEPARTS-9:00 AM-For-Toronto, Canada

PORT COLBORNE,CANADA                    [CAPCO]
1/16/2026  CCGS Judy LaMarsh-DEPARTS-1:32 PM-For-Sarnia, Canada

NANTICOKE, ONTARIO                             [CANAN]-Bill Kloss
Algoterra and Algoberta departed for Sarnia.

ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA                                 [USERI]-Bill Kloss
DUE:
Presque Isle-DUE-1/17/2026-1:30 AM

ASHTABULA, OHIO                                      [USASF]-Bill Kloss
H. Lee White and Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. arrived to layup.

CONNEAUT, OHIO                                       [USCDY]-Bill Kloss
American Century arrived with ore for the P&C Dock.
DUE:
American Spirit-DUE-1/17/2026-5:07 PM

CLEVELAND, OHIO                                      [USCLE]-Bill Kloss
Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader departed for Toledo Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader arrived at the Bulk Terminal and Sam Laud is still on the shuttles.
DUE:
Wilfred Sykes-DUE-1/17/2026-12:20 AM
Clyde S VanEnkevort-DUE-1/17/2026-3:10 AM

TOLEDO, OHIO                                               [USTOL]-Bill Kloss
  Laid up in various locations on the Maumee River are Paul R. Tregurtha, Kaye E. Barker, Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder, Great Republic, John G. Munson and American Mariner
DUE:
John G Munson-DUE-1/16/2025-5:00 PM
Dirk S VanEnkevort-DUE-1/17/2026-6:21 AM
Edwin H Gott-DUE-1/18/2026-10:42 AM
American Courage-DUE-1/17/2026-2:49 AM

POINT PELEE, ONTARIO                           [CADLM]-Bill Kloss]
American Courage is anchored.

MONROE, MICHIGAN                                 [USMOI]-Bill Kloss
DUE:
New York / Double Skin 509A-DUE-1/16/2026-8:06 PM

DETROIT, MICHIGAN                                  [USDET]
1/16/2026  Wilfred Sykes-DEPARTS-4:28 PM-For-Cleveland, Ohio
DUE:
Leo A McArthur-DUE-1/16/2026-3:18 PM

WINDSOR, CANADA                                   [CAWND]
DUE:
Whitefish Bay-DUE-1/18/2026-2:00 PM

GODERICH, CANADA                                 [CAGOH]
DUE:
Algoma Intrepid-DUE-1/17/2026-6:51 PM

OWEN SOUND, CANADA                          [CAOWS]
DUE:
CCGS Vincent Massey-DUE-1/17/2026-8:41 AM

SARNIA,CANADA                                          [CASNI]
1/16/2026  Algocanada-ARRIVES-7:49 PM
DUE:
Algoberta-DUE-1/17/2026-12:46 PM
Algoterra-DUE-1/18/2026-2:22 AM
CCGS Judy LaMarsh-DUE-1/17/2026-4:01 PM
Baltic-DUE-1/18/2026-7:10 PM

PORT HURON, MICHIGAN                       [USPHN}
USCG Neah Bay-DUE-1/17/2026-12:41 PM

CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN                        [USCHG]
1/15/2026  USCG Mackinaw-ARRIVES-12:13 PM

SAULT STE. MARIE                                        [CASSM]
1/16/2026  USCG Neah Bay-DEPARTS-1:11 PM-For-Port Huron, Michigan

DULUTH,MINNESOTA-SUPERIOR,WISCONSIN          [USSUW]
1/16/2026  John J Boland-ARRIVES-4:20 AM
1/16/2026  Lee A Tregurtha-ARRIVES-11:31 AM

STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN               [USSUE]
1/16/2026  Nickelena-ARRIVES-1:21 PM
1/16/2026  USCG Mobile Bay-DEPARTS-1:30 PM-For-[ICE OPS]
DUE:
USCG Mobile Bay-DUE-1/16/2026-7:26 PM

MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN                          [USMKG]
1/15/2026  Algoma Intrepid-DEPARTS-11:40 PM-For-Goderich, Canada

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN                      [USMKE]
DUE:
Algoma Niagara-DUE-1/17/2026-6:25 AM
Calumet-DUE-1/17/2026-10:06 PM

SOUTH CHICAGO-CALUMET HARBOR, ILLINOIS       [USOUS]
1/16/2026  Rebecca Lynn-ARRIVES-4:13 AM
1/16/2026  Whitefish Bay-DEPARTS-5:00 AM-For-Windsor, Canada
12/16/2026  Nathan S-DEPARTS-9:27 AM-For-Indiana Harbor, Indiana

BURNS HARBOR, INDIANA                     [USBNB]
1/15/2026  Edgar B Speer-ARRIVES-4:26 PM
1/15/2026  Stewart J Cort-ARRIVES-6:45 PM
DUE:
Lois M-DUE-1/18/2026-11:41 PM

GARY HARBOR, INDIANA                         [USGYY]
1/15/2026  Edwin H Gott-ARRIVES-4:48 PM
1/16/2026  Edwin H Gott-DEPARTS-10:09 AM-For-Toledo, Ohio 

INDIANA HARBOR-INDIANA                  [USECH]
1/15/2026  Herbert C Jackson-ARRIVES-7:14 PM
1/15/2026  Karen Andrie-ARRIVES-10:12 PM
1/16/2026  Herbert C Jackson-DEPARTS-3:11 AM-For-Ecorse, Michigan
1/16/2026  Nathan S-ARRIVES-10:20 AM
DUE:
Rebecca Lynn-DUE-1/16/2026-8:43 PM

Today in Great Lakes History – January 17

Jan 17, 2026

1899
1899:  On 17 January 1899, the GERMANIA (wooden propeller freighter, 136 foot, 237 gross tons, built in 1875, at Marine City, Michigan) caught fire and burned to the water’s edge at Ecorse, Michigan. The previous day, Norman Reno of Ecorse did some painting inside the cabin and it was presumed that the stove used to heat the cabin may have caused the blaze. The vessel was in winter lay-up at the rear of the home of Mr. W. G. Smith, her owner.

1902
1902:  January 17, 1902 – PERE MARQUETTE 2  [built 1882 as F&PM 2  Renamed PERE MARQUETTE 2 in 1901, Rnamed DUNDURN in 1906]  ran aground at Ludington.

1916
1916:  PERE MARQUETTE 19 grounded in limited visibility on January 17, 1916, two miles south of Big Point Sable, Michigan, 600 feet off shore. The captain made three unsuccessful attempts to find the Ludington Harbor entrance and on the turn around for the fourth attempt she grounded.

1925
1925:  PHILIP D. BLOCK (Hull#789) was launched at Lorain, Ohio, by the American Ship Building in 1925.

1-17-1942
1942:   LAKE FLAMBEAU [Built 1919 at McDougall-Duluth Shipbuilding Co, Duluth, Minnesota Renamed-1924 JAMES RIVER, Renamed-1939 SALMAN FRANCES] Departed St. John’s, Newfoundland for Corner Brook on January 17, 1942, and never arrived. Believed torpedoed off St. John’s on January 20, 1942

1951
1951:  JOHN E. F. MISENER was float launched in 1951, as a.) SCOTT MISENER (Hull#11) at St. Catharines, Ontario, by Port Weller Drydocks, Ltd.

1963
1963:  The tanker GREAT LAKES was launched in 1963, as the a.) SINCLAIR GREAT LAKES (Hull#1577) at Decatur, Alabama, by Ingalls Iron Works Co.

1975
1975:  NORTHERN VENTURE closed the Welland Canal for the season as she passed downbound for Hamilton with coal in 1975.

1978
1978:  The CLIFFS VICTORY, JOSEPH H. FRANTZ, WILLIAM G. MATHER, ROBERT C. NORTON, CRISPIN OGLEBAY and J. BURTON AYERS formed a convoy in the Detroit River bound for Cleveland.

1997
According to a recent story in the Duluth News-Tribune, the two-man crew of an out-of-control LTV taconite train at one point warned other workers that the train might run off the end of the loading dock and plunge into the harbor at Taconite Harbor.
The accident earlier this week occurred while Paul R. Tregurtha was loading at the LTV Steel Mining Co. dock at Taconite Harbor. The boat left without a full load after the train derailed and cut off rail access to the shiploader.
The train was coming down a 2 percent grade at an estimated 45 mph instead of the usual 5 mph. LTV officials praised the trainmen for using their radio to warn other workers to block auto traffic on Highway 61 where it passes under the rail line and for alerting them that the train could crash into the shiploader and plunge off the dock.
A safety system functioned as planned when it automatically switched the onrushing train to an uphill loop track, diverting it away from the dock. The entire 93-car train derailed when it hit the switch at high speed.

2000
2000:  FEDERAL VIBEKE got stuck in the ice on the St. Lawrence and was almost carried into the bridge at Quebec City. The vessel was bound for Sorel with steel. It first came to the Great Lakes in 1993 after previous visits as a) NOSIRA LIN beginning in 1981, b) DAN BAUTA in 1989, and c) KRISTIANIAFJORD in 1991. It was back as e) KALISTI in 2000 and f) NOBILITY in 2004. This bulk carrier arrived at Alang, India, for scrapping as h) OPAL II and was beached on November 14, 2012.

2023
2023:  The McKeil Marine/Nadro Marine Services tug Seahound has sunk at Port Maitland, ON. Images on social media Monday showed her mostly submerged, with a crew working to mediate any pollution and determine a salvage plan. No further details are known at this time. The 65-foot tug was built in 1971, and is active in the Welland Canal area, often assisting vessels headed for scrap at Marine Recycling Corp. at Port Colborne.

2023:   The Soo Locks are officially closed to shipping traffic as of 10 a.m. today, Monday 1/17/2023 They were originally scheduled to close at 11:59 p.m. Sunday night, but the tug/barge Ashtabula/Defiance left Superior, WI, late due to loading and weather delays

2024
2024:   The 1952-built steamer Philip R. Clarke, captained by Scott Hein, closed
the 2023-24 Soo Locks season when she passed downbound on a sunny but cold Tuesday
morning  1-17-2024 bound from Two Harbors, MN, to Conneaut, OH, with taconite pellets. Once unloaded,
she will winter at Toledo.

Data from: Max Hanley, Brian Bernard, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

Boatnerd News January 16, 2026

Jan 16, 2026

The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026

American Spirit closes Soo Locks season

   Sault Ste. Marie, MI – The last downbound vessel to transit the Soo Locks this season was the 1,000-footer American Spirit, downbound in the Poe Lock Thursday in the early evening. Although she did not have much trouble with ice entering the lock, there were problems when she was exiting. She finally cleared the locks at 8:35 p.m.
   American Spirit is carrying pellets for Conneaut loaded at Two Harbors.
   She was preceded by John G. Munson and Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader earlier in the day. The locks will reopen for the season March 25.

[Know Your Ships]

 

 

 

 

Port Report – January 16, 2026

Jan 16, 2026

Port and vessel activity for Thursday January 15.  Port reports done by Tom Geiger unless otherwise noted. Please send future port reports and pictures to news@boatnerd.net
You can Now visit Matt Miner’s Saltie page at  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/foreign-vessels-on-the-lakes-2024
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at;  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026/

PORT REPORT 1/16/2026

BUFFALO,NEW YORK                                  [USBUF]-Bill Kloss
Victory/Maumee is at her layup berth at the Frontier Elevator.

PORT COLBORNE,CANADA                    [CAPCO]-Bill Kloss
Frontenac arrived for layup.

NANTICOKE, ONTARIO                             [CANAN]-Bill Kloss
Algocanada departed for Sarnia. Algoterra and Algoberta are loading at Imperial Oil.

ASHTABULA, OHIO                                      [USASF]-Bill Kloss
H. Lee White is anchored off of Rondeau Bay.

CONNEAUT, OHIO                                       [USCDY]-Bill Kloss
American Century is anchored in Lake Erie.

CLEVELAND, OHIO                                      [USCLE]-Bill Kloss
Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader arrived to unload at the Bulk Terminal.

SANDUSKY, OHIO                                         [USSKY-Bill Kloss
Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. remains anchored off of Cedar Point.

TOLEDO, OHIO                                               [USTOL]-Bill Kloss
WIlfred Sykes unloaded at Torco then left for Dearborn.

POINT PELEE, ONTARIO                           [CADLM]-Bill Kloss]
American Courage is anchored

SAULT STE. MARIE                                        [CASSM]
1/15/2026  Lee A Tregurtha-DEPARTS-6:22 AM-For-Duluth / Superior
1/15/2026  John G Munson-ARRIVES-8:57 AM
1/15/2026  John G Munson-DEPARTS-11:48 AM-For-Toledo, Ohio
1/15/2026  Clyde S VanEnkevort-ARRIVES-12:22 PM
1/15/2026  USCG Neah Bay-ARRIVES-1:00 PM
1/15/2026  Clyde S VanEnkevort-DEPARTS-4:16 PM-For-Cleveland, Ohio
1/15/2026  American Spirit-ARRIVES-4:37 PM
1/15/2026  American Spirit-DEPARTS-9:02 PM-For-Conneaut, Ohio
1/15/2026  USCG Katmai Bay-ARRIVES-9:39 PM

Today in Great Lakes History – January 16

Jan 16, 2026

1917
1917:  The ANN ARBOR NO 6 left Ecorse for Frankfort on her maiden voyage.

1978
1978:  The upbound McKEE SONS, LEON FALK JR, WILLIAM P. SNYDER JR, A.H. FERBERT and CHAMPLAIN became stuck in heavy ice outside Cleveland Harbor. Eventually they were freed with the help of the U.S.C.G. icebreaker NORTHWIND and the U.S.C.G. MARIPOSA.

1986
1986:  The former Greek freighter PAULINA C., a Seaway trader beginning in 1976, ran aground off the Dutch coast near Rotterdam as c) RIO GRANDE. It was refloated January 23 and became d) NEPTUNIA later in 1986. It arrived at Bombay, India, for scrapping on December 3, 1986.

1990
1990: The tanker MAYA FARBER came through the Seaway in 1981. It was anchored off Port Sudan as e) RAAD AL-BAKRY VIII when there was an explosion in a cargo tank. Fire broke out and the vessel was gutted. The hull later broke in two and the after end sank. The forebody was sold for scrap and arrived at Alang, India, for dismantling on March 28, 1990.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Brian Bernard, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Max Hanley, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series.

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