Port and vessel activity from Friday, August 25, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean… – Joshua Hebeisen
The newest — and potentially most unique — member of the Canadian fleet is somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, officially headed for home!
McKeil Marine recently purchased the former Asian cement carrier Da Shen from overseas, sending her to Nantong, China, for an innovative refit and “Canadianization.” The 1998-built vessel emerged from the COSCO Shipping Shipyard as the mighty Northern Venture, a self-unloading bulk carrier equipped to perform the wide variety of tasks demanded of a modern-day laker. The Venture stopped in Japan for a load of blast furnace slag before setting course for Picton, ON, on her first cargo-carrying trip for McKeil.
AIS is spotty in the middle of the Pacific, but Janey Anderson of the Ship Junkies Facebook page reports that the vessel is 2 days into the month-long voyage to the Panama Canal. However, with the canal itself implementing drought-induced traffic restrictions, it’s anyone’s guess as to when the vessel will sail inbound on the St. Lawrence Seaway…
Click here to view Janey Anderson’s post with additional updates!
Thunder Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Solina departed Keefer Terminal for the anchorage shortly after 21:06, joining an unreasonably large assortment of ships waiting out in the lake: Perelik, Ludogorets, Federal Champlain, Federal Beaufort, and Federal Satsuki were all swinging on the hook since Thursday, while Verila and Federal Clyde were fashionably late on Friday. The anchored army is not exactly due to a lack of space in port, as Narie was the only vessel in the harbor as of Friday night.
Marquette, MI – Noah H.
Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader arrived at 10:46 to an empty dock, which they then occupied for the remainder of the day. An early morning departure should be imminent. A trio of the Kaye E. Barker, Lee A. Tregurtha, and American Spirit are all on their way to load next.
Drummond Island, MI (Drummond, MI) – Joshua Hebeisen
Michipicoten arrived from Sault Ste. Marie, ON, at 13:43, ready to take on dolomite at the dock. It is very well possible that the Canadian classic heads back north for Algoma Steel after completing her load.
Port Dolomite, MI (Cedarville, MI) – Joshua Hebeisen
Joseph L. Block arrived at 04:43 to load stone, departing for her Duluth, MN, destination at 13:55.
Grand Haven, MI – Ferrysburg, MI – Noah H.
Bradshaw McKee/St. Marys Conquest finished up their cement unload at 21:05 and departed for Charlevoix.
Calcite, MI (Rogers City, MI) – Joshua Hebeisen
Starting her day in the northern slot, Great Republic departed at 09:54 midway through the morning for Burns Harbor, IN. Mark W. Barker backed in around 17:30 after making the short trip from Alpena, MI, and H. Lee White went to anchor late Friday night.
Stoneport, MN (Presque Isle, MI) – Joshua Hebeisen
Olive L. Moore/Menominee cleared at 09:00 on the typical trek southbound for Saginaw, MI, and Bay City, MI. Kaye E. Barker arrived 5 hours later to load stone for Marquette, MI.
Meldrum Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Herbert C. Jackson is Holland, MI-bound with a load of stone from Lafarge. The classic laker departed around 10:00 and should be well-received on Lake Macatawa come Saturday morning.
Monroe, MI – Bill Kloss
Hon. James L. Oberstar weighed anchor and unloaded coal at DTE. She headed to Calcite once empty.
Toledo, OH – Bill Kloss
Algoma Intrepid departed to Goderich. Arrivals were American Spirit to unload at Torco and Manitoulin to CSX for coal. American Spirit left for Marquette and Manitoulin to the Soo.
Sandusky, OH – Bill Kloss
CSL Niagara is loading coal at Norfolk Southern.
Cleveland, OH – Bill Kloss
Arrivals were Fivelborg with steel coils and plates to Dock 24W at the Port and G.L. Ostrander/Integrity with cement for Holcim. Departures were McKeil Spirit to Detroit and Algoma Buffalo to Thorold, ON. Celina and Gardno are still unloading at the Port, and American Courage continues on the shuttles.
Grand River, OH – Fairport Harbor, OH – Bill Kloss
Frontenac departed with salt for Bowmanville, ON.
Ashtabula, OH – Bill Kloss
Still unloading is Federal Mayumi, and CSL St-Laurent remains at anchor. Federal Franklin is due in Ashtabula and is anchored off of Port Colborne.
Erie, PA – Bill Kloss
Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder arrived to unload limestone at Carmeuse.
We do not currently have daily summaries for the following ports, but 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.