Port and vessel activity from April 19, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Scott Bjorklund
Duluth Entry
Michipicoten arrived at 09:19 (Central) Tuesday to load iron ore pellets at CN#6; they departed at 16:28 for Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie. As of Tuesday night, no vessels were in port on the Duluth side. Indiana Harbor is expected early morning Wednesday to either fuel or load at CN. American Spirit may fuel mid-afternoon before departing for Two Harbors. American Century is due Wednesday evening to first fuel then load low sulfur coal at SMET.
Superior Entry
Oakglen departed at 07:37 (Central) Tuesday with iron ore pellets for Quebec City. Algoma Guardian arrived at 08:22; they departed at 23:08 with iron ore for Hamilton. Finally, CSL Tadoussac arrived at 23:33 to load for Nanticoke. As of Tuesday night, H. Lee White was taking a delay at Fraser Shipyards, American Spirit was preparing to depart Elevator M, Paul R. Tregurtha was taking a delay at Lakehead Pipeline, and CSL Tadoussac was loading at BNSF#5. CSL Tadoussac is estimated to depart sometime Wednesday with iron ore pellets. Burns Harbor is expected Wednesday afternoon to load next at BNSF.
Two Harbors, MN – Silver Bay, MN – Gary Putney
American Integrity arrived Two Harbors on 01:43 on 4/18 and she departed on 4/18 at 19:57 for Indiana Harbor. The Presque Isle had been stopped off the breakwall stern first. It was the closest I’ve seen a boat anchored by the piers. The American Spirit is still at her layup/fitout dock in Superior, but she is showing a Two Harbors destination.
A follow-up on Silver Bay traffic: The Dirk S. VanEnkevort departed on 4/17 at 21:21 for Toledo.
Looks like work is being done in Two Harbors. There have been approx. 6-8 chutes in the down position since before fitout. Tuesday afternoon, that barge that’s done work in Two Harbors the Wren 1 might be wrong on that. It’s dock North of #2. American Intrepid arrived Two Harbors at 4/18 and departed at 20:17 for Indiana Harbors. Presque Isle arr. Two Harbors at 21:13 and departed at 10:37 for Nanticoke. If you read about the ore docks in the previous Port Report; it was just speculation on my part, so don’t believe it.
Marquette, MI – Arthur Pickering
As of Wednesday night, both the Saginaw and the Lee Tregurtha are loading at the upper harbor ore dock. En route to Marquette are the Hon. James Oberstar which just went under the Mackinaw Bridge and the Maumee which is just passing Alpena. Both should arrive late Friday or early Saturday.
Marquette, MI – Noah H.
After a two-day break from shipping traffic, Wednesday saw two arrivals. The first was an extremely rare visit by Lower Lakes Towing’s Saginaw at 13:44. This was the first Marquette visit by the Saginaw since December of 2020, a year where she visited regularly. This trip did not last long, as the Saginaw departed for Algoma Soo at 20:35. While the Saginaw was loading, a more familiar face in the Lee A. Tregurtha arrived at 17:59. Up next will be the Hon. James L. Oberstar.
Grand Haven, MI – Noah H.
The first non-tug/barge action of the season finally came for Grand Haven on Tuesday with the arrival of the classic Wilfred Sykes at 22:48. She came from Indiana Harbor with aggregate to unload at Meekhof’s D&M, and will seemingly head back down to Indiana Harbor once finished. The only other traffic previously was the Undaunted tug.
The classy Wilfred Sykes departed from Meekhof’s D&M at 4:38 after a sub-6 hour visit. She will head back to Indiana Harbor, and will no doubt make more Grand Haven visits throughout the season.
Muskegon, MI – Noah H.
A burst of traffic on Tuesday evening featured three distinct types of cargos. First, the Alpena arrived at 17:06 after cruising along the western edge of Lake Michigan at half speed, waiting for better arrival conditions. She would head, as usual, to the LaFarge cement dock to unload. At about the same time (17:27), Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41 departed the lakeside Verplank dock to head to Gary with an unknown cargo, possibly scrap metal. Finally, at 18:19, the Hon. James L. Oberstar arrived with stone from Port Dolomite. This was her first visit of the season, matching her total from last season. She would head to Cobb Verplank.
After the Tuesday series of arrivals, a series of departures on Wednesday would leave the port empty. First, the Alpena steamed out of the LaFarge dock at 03:01 to head to Charlevoix, of all places. Soon after, at 04:06, the Hon. James L. Oberstar departed from the Verplank dock to head to Marquette. The Alpena was an hour ahead of the Oberstar in arrival times on Tuesday, and was an hour ahead during their departures.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Intrepid cleared 00:37 Tuesday upbound for Superior, WI, with salt. Algoma Compass cleared 14:26 Tuesday upbound for Green Bay, WI, with salt. Algoma Conveyor arrived 04:41 Wednesday and is loading at Compass Minerals — her third appearance this new season. Algoma Sault is expected next for salt, and Federal Rideau (Montreal) continues loading at the elevators.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
April 18
Monroe, MI: James R. Barker arrived with coal for DTE. New York/Double Skin 509A is unloading.
Toledo, OH: Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader arrived to unload at Ironville and Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger has cement for St. Marys. Victory/Maumee left with no destination on AIS.
Cleveland, OH: Harvest Spirit arrived with steel coils for the Port. She’s at Dock 22E. Departing was Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder for Stoneport and Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson for Meldrum Bay. American Courage is on the shuttles.
Nanticoke, ON: No change in Nanticoke as Mia Desgagnes is still at Imperial Oil while Algonova, Algoterra and Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin are still anchored.
April 19
Monroe, MI: James R. Barker departed for Two Harbors, MN.
Toledo, OH: Departures were Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader for Silver Bay and Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger for Cleveland.
Cleveland, OH: Trading places, Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement left for Bowmanville, ON while Sea Eagle II/St. Marys Cement II arrived from Detroit to unload a partial cargo at St. Marys Jefferson St. terminal. Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger arrived from Toledo with a partial load for the St. Marys Columbus St. terminal. Harvest Spirit unloaded steel coils and then departed for Monroe, MI. American Courage is on the shuttles.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Mark W. Barker unloaded a split load of stone at Sidley and Osborne.
Nanticoke, ON: Mia Desgagnes departed with petroleum products for Montreal and Algonova with the same for Sarnia. Algoterra is loading at Imperial Oil. Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin unloaded ore at Stelco and departed for Superior, WI. Next in line to unload at Stelco was CSL Niagara. She left for Sandusky, OH once empty. Alstone Equinox was a late night arrival to Stelco.
Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
The US Coast Guard heavy ice breaker Mackinaw made her first ever trip of her 17 year Great Lakes career to Buffalo to do Aids To Navigation work on April 18. She arrived off Waverley Shoal that morning and then slowly worked her way up the North Entrance changing out the Winter for Summer markers. It was a harsh day of 32 degrees, a 20 mph wind, and driving sleet, making for difficult working conditions on deck. They finished up around 18:00 and departed the area, bound for the Port Colborne Anchorage. Mackinaw has stopped in Buffalo once before, years ago, but it was in the middle of the night for about an hour and no ATON work was done that time.
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.