Boatnerd News – March 30, 2023

Federal Dart sets first saltie of season record

DULUTH — When the 656-foot Federal Dart passed under the Aerial Lift Bridge at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, it became the earliest oceangoing vessel to arrive in the port of Duluth-Superior.

It beat the previous first-saltie-of-the-season record set March 30, 2013, by two days, according to Jayson Hron, spokesperson for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

The Federal Dart, a Marshall island-flagged ship owned by Fednav, arrived with 23,000 short tons of Turkish cement and will unload it at the CRH / Ash Grove Cement Terminal on Rice’s Point in Duluth, Hron said.

According to VesselFinder.com, the ship left Turkey on March 3 and made a brief port call in Spain before crossing the Atlantic Ocean and completing the 2,342-mile voyage from the Atlantic Ocean to North America’s farthest-inland seaport.

The Great Lakes shipping season began last week when the St. Lawrence Seaway connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean opened Wednesday and the Soo Locks connecting Lake Superior with the other Great Lakes opened at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Ships that remain in the Great Lakes, or lakers, began moving Wednesday and the shipping season is now in full swing.

The Federal Dart’s early arrival was aided by a low-ice year. As of Tuesday, the Great Lakes have less than 5% ice cover, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The latest first saltie of a season to arrive was May 7, 2014, a year with significant ice coverage.

Visit Duluth is now looking through entries submitted in the 40th annual First Ship Contest to determine whose guess was closest to the Federal Dart’s actual arrival.

Duluth News Tribune

 

Shipbuilding, repair winter season closes for one Erie company

The tide continues to bring new ships to Erie’s port as Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair’s winter season has come to an end.

“We’re really fortunate we have one of the only shipbuilding facilities on the Great Lakes that can accommodate the fleet that goes through the Great Lakes, so it’s a tremendous asset for our community,” said James Grunke. president and CEO, Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership (ERCGP).

It’s been all hands on deck as the winter ship repair season comes to a close.

“We’re a full-service shipyard. We do everything from electrical to piping, painting, and welding. We do joiner insulation — pretty much anything that a vessel would need.” said Rick Hammer, general manager, Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair.

Their facility includes a 1,000-foot dry dock to handle vessels of that size. The general manager said that their winter season was smooth and went according to plan.

“The mild weather certainly makes the job a little bit easier for these employees going out working in the weather every day. It’s definitely a little more bearable,” Hammer added.

While many may think summer is the busier season, winter is when the majority of ships come in for repairs and inspections.

“This year, we actually have two additional dry dockings to do, and we got quite a bit of new construction to complete this summer,” said Hammer.

“The people that they have working there are some of the most highly skilled craftsmen there are. The loyalty that they’ve been able to establish with their employees is a real testament to the company. It’s really, really hard work but the people there just seem to love it,” said Grunke.

Companies throughout the Great Lakes are expected to continue looking to our community to meet their needs over the summer season.

Your Erie