Port Reports – April 12, 2023

Port and vessel activity from April 11, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Scott Bjorklund
Duluth Entry
Michipicoten departed at 06:45 (Central) Tuesday morning empty to load in Two Harbors. American Integrity left not long after at 07:55 with iron ore pellets for Indiana Harbor, Indiana. There was no activity until American Mariner arrived after dark at 20:49 with limestone from Port Inland for Graymont. As of Tuesday night, Defiance and Ashtabula were loading at CN#6. The tug-barge combo is expected to depart early morning with iron ore pellets, and Burns Harbor should arrive from anchor to take their place at the ore dock.

Superior Entry
Frontenac departed at 01:55 (Central) Tuesday morning with iron ore pellets for Nanticoke. Algoma Sault arrived from anchor at 02:28 to load at BNSF#5; they departed at 13:46 with ore for Hamilton, Ontario. Baie Comeau ended the day’s activity when they arrived at 13:55 for their turn at BNSF#5. As of Tuesday night, Baie Comeau was still loading at BNSF. The Comeau is estimated to depart sometime Wednesday morning, and Algoma Strongfield will take their place.

Two Harbors, MN – Gary Putney
Presque Isle arrived back in Two Harbors at 14:52 on 4/10. She then departed on 4/11 at 08:44 for Nanticoke. She was then replaced at the dock by the Indiana Harbor. Stopped off Two Harbors are the Michipicoten, the CSL Laurentien, and Whitefish Bay.

Thunder Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
CSL St-Laurent was the lone star of an otherwise quiet day in T-Bay, arriving at 09:13 to load at Viterra A.

Marquette, MI – Noah H.
As is often the case, Tuesday’s Marquette traffic was exclusively Interlake. Kaye E. Barker concluded another visit with a 04:29 departure after only a 7 hour load. Half the day would pass before the arrival of the Herbert C. Jackson, gliding in at 19:13. Her fleet mate Hon. James L. Oberstar would finish off the day’s action with a 23:25 arrival, joining the Jackson at the dock. It seems like the majority of the opening days of the season have featured two Interlake ships in parallel at LS&I. A change of pace is in store with the expected arrival of the ATB Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader.

Muskegon, MI – Noah H.
Tan beauty Alpena departed at 06:47 from LaFarge after a short cement unload. She will head back to her namesake port and will no doubt be back within a month or so. Meanwhile, Muskegon awaits the first limestone runs of the season.

Stoneport, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
A changing of the ATB guard in the first few minutes of Tuesday morning saw Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder clear for Detroit, MI, clearing the way for anchored Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson to arrive. Laura and Joseph would depart around 11:30 with stone for Marine City, MI.

Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Just after midnight in the Motor City, Saginaw slipped up the Detroit River and tied up at neighboring Windsor’s Sterling Fuel dock. Her holds already filled with coal products from Sandusky, ON, the classic laker would top off her gas tank as well before continuing upbound for the Soo at 03:15. In the meantime, a fueled-up H. Lee White departed Mistersky Fuel Dock across the river to journey north for Marine City, MI, with a delivery from Marblehead, OH. 

Following a brief break in traffic, an upbound Algoma Discovery was a welcome sight on the river as she stopped to fuel at Sterling around 06:45. An engine room fire aboard the vessel back in February had led some to question whether she would ever make her way up through these parts again, but the big bulker isn’t quite ready to call it a career. She departed for Two Harbors, MN, at 09:30.

Midmorning traffic on the Detroit side of the river consisted entirely of ATBs calling on Mistersky well into the afternoon. Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader chugged in for fuel at 08:12 before continuing upbound for Duluth, MN, at 10:53, eager to show off their handsome coat of red and cream to the Twin Ports. Victory/Maumee, also upbound, were on hand at the dock immediately after the Clyde cleared and would eventually leave for the Soo at 13:36. Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger came in from Cleveland, OH, at 13:15 and resumed the journey north to an unspecified port (almost certainly Charlevoix, MI) at 15:37.

Later in the evening, Mistersky-bound Mesabi Miner made port from Monroe, MI, at 16:38; the footer departed at 19:56 for Duluth. CSL Niagara (Two Harbors) was also headed for Lake Superior around 23:00 after fueling following the Miner. At 2 minutes to midnight, Detroit finally handled its first non-fuel cargo of the day courtesy of Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder arriving on the River Rouge with stone.

Some shuffling also took place throughout the day near Windsor’s ADM. McKeil Marine’s Harvest Spirit shifted from the dock up to Morterm around 13:00, allowing anchored saltie Argentia Desgagnés to take her place. Federal Kushiro and CSL Tadoussac are at anchor in the area as of late Tuesday night.

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Sam Laud unloaded and left for Sandusky. Mesabi Miner unloaded coal at DTE, then left for Duluth once empty.
Toledo, OH: Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader unloaded at Ironville, then left for Marquette. Also at Ironville is the tug/barge Albert/Margaret. Wilf Seymour/Allouette Spirit arrived in the evening.
Sandusky, OH: Sam Laud loaded coal at Norfolk Southern, departing in the evening for Detroit.
Cleveland, OH: Departures were McKeil Spirit for Erie, PA and Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger. Arrivals included Wilfred Sykes, making a return with stone for Cliffs and Mark W. Barker with stone for Osborne.  Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement is unloading at St. Marys Jefferson St. terminal.
Erie, PA: McKeil Spirit arrived from Cleveland at 07:55.
Buffalo, NY: Manitoulin is unloading at ADM.
Nanticoke, ON: Departing were CSL Niagara for Detroit and Mia Desgagnes for Sarnia. Algosea and Kitikmeot W are loading at Imperial Oil. Algoterra and Capt. Henry Jackman are anchored off of Port Dover.

Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
The Manitoulin arrived with a load of Canadian Red Wheat for the ADM Standard elevator at 11:00 on the 11th. She met the Vermont at the North Entrance and winded in the Outer Harbor. An unexpected mechanical issue forced the Vermont to head back up river so the crew could switch over to the Oklahoma instead. The Captain of the Manitoulin decided to back up the Buffalo River and meet the second tug below Ohio St. The Oklahoma caught up with her in the reach below the bridge and the tow picked back up again. They made the turn and got to the elevator around 12:45.

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.