Port Reports – December 13, 2023

PORT REPORT  12/13/2023

TWO HARBORS, MINNESOTA-Tom Geiger
12/13/2023  Edgar B. Speer-ETA-10:00 PM
12/13/2023  Presque Isle-ETA-10:30 PM
12/14/2023  Edwin H. Gott-ETA-8:00 AM
12/14/2023  Joseph L. Block-ETA-12:00 PM

TWO HARBORS-MINNESOTA-EB
Philip R. Clarke appeared to finish loading at Two Harbors on Tuesday morning, Dec 12th, but remained at the dock throughout the day, likely waiting for weather on Lake Superior to improve before heading downbound.

Edgar B. Speer remained at anchor in Keweenaw Bay through the day on Tuesday, Dec 12th, with Mesabi Miner nearby. Similarly to the Miner’s situation, if weather forecasts prove true, Speer may make it to Two Harbors before the end of the day on Wednesday, Dec 13th.

Joseph L Block, expected to load at Two Harbors, was one of eight ships sheltering at anchor in Whitefish Bay Tuesday evening. All eight ships happened to be lake freighters, and all happened to be bound for western Lake Superior ports.

SILVER BAY, MINNESOTA-Tom Geiger
12/14/2023  Mesabi Miner-ETA-4:00 PM

SILVER BAY, MINNESOTA-EB
Mesabi Miner remained at anchor in Keweenaw Bay as of Tuesday evening, Dec 12th. If the timing of weather forecasts prove true, Miner may make Silver Bay on Wednesday, Dec. 13th.

With west / northwest gales driving large waves across eastern Lake Superior, eight ships eventually due at western Lake Superior ports had taken shelter in Whitefish Bay as of Tuesday evening, Dec 12th, anchoring in an impressive linear array hugging the lee of the Michigan shoreline. Stewart J Cort was among them, with the ship’s AIS transponder showing Silver Bay as a destination.

DULUTH,MINNESOTA-Tom Geiger
12/14/2023  Radcliffe R. Latimer-ETA-1:30 AM
12/14/2023  Federal Katsura-ETA-7:00 AM
12/14/2023  Kaye E. Barker-ETA-11:00 AM
12/14/2023  American Integrity-ETA-12:00 PM
12/14/2023  Walter J. McCarthy Jr.-ETA-12:00 PM
12/14/2023  Arthur M. Anderson-ETA-5:00 PM
12/14/2023  Lee A. Tregurtha-ETA-10:00PM

DULUTH, MINNESOTA-EB
Paul R. Tregurtha and Hon. James L. Oberstar dropped anchor outside Duluth in the early morning hours of Dec 12th. Both ships were riding high with no cargo aboard, and spent most or all of the day at anchor waiting for westerly winds at the Duluth Entry to abate enough to make safe arrival, threading the needle despite the semi cross-canal wind direction.

Limestone-laden American Mariner, riding low, was perhaps in a better position to give the Duluth Entry a try, arriving successfully late Tuesday morning, Dec 12th with tug Kentucky providing a just-in-case escort. Cold, gusty westerly winds whipped up a chop in the Duluth harbor basin and further upstream on St. Louis Bay as  American Mariner made its way to CN railroad’s Hallett Dock 5. Mariner is listed as due next to load grain in Thunder Bay, ON. That’s likely intended to be a cargo of wheat from the Canadian lakehead for Buffalo, NY, a run American Mariner has made several times this season.

A slight afternoon easing of winds was enough to compel Hon. James L. Oberstar into action; they arrived the Duluth Entry in low golden late afternoon sun, headed for CN 6 to load iron ore pellets.

Paul R. Tregurtha remained at anchor after sunset Tuesday, but as winds continued to die down a late evening arrival at Duluth was still possible. Paul R. Tregurtha is scheduled for one of its regular loads of coal out of the Midwest Energy Terminal.

Duluth’s Riverland Ag elevator began loading operations on Federal Montreal Tuesday morning, Dec 12th. If all goes smoothly that points to a Wednesday or Thursday departure via the Duluth Entry with wheat for export overseas.

Loading operations on Federal Hunter at CHS 1 also appeared to be making good progress on Tuesday; as of early evening a late evening departure via the Duluth Entry on Dec 12th did not seem out of the question. Federal Hunter would also be loaded with wheat for an overseas destination.

After a long slog at reduced speed across Lake Superior, Polish Steamship Co’s ocean-going freighter Narie (pronounced “NAR-yeh”) was following Minnesota’s north shore Tuesday evening, Dec 12th, and was likely to be in the vicinity of Duluth just before midnight. There was no clear indication yet whether they’d go to anchor or arrive the Duluth Entry. They’re due to load at CHS; they may wait and load at CHS berth 1 after Federal Hunter, or go directly into CHS 2 and utilize that grain terminal’s ability to load two ships simultaneously.

Of the eight lakers sheltering at anchor in Whitefish Bay Tuesday evening, four are expected at the Duluth Entry when the northwest gales abate. Kaye E. Barker is loaded with limestone for the Graymont Lime Plant, Radcliffe R. Latimer is laden with salt from Goderich for the Envirotech company’s Hallett Dock 8, and Walter J. McCarthy Jr and Arthur M. Anderson are both slated for iron ore pellet loads out of CN 6. That’s at least for the time being, as ships’ orders often change in the aftermath of weather systems causing holdups.

SUPERIOR,WISCONSIN-Tom Geiger
12/14/2023  Algoma Guardian-ETA-5:00 AM
12/14/2023  Erie Trader-ETA-10:00 AM
12/14/2023  CSL Assiniboine-ETA-12:00 PM

SUPERIOR,WISCONSIN-EB
Burns Harbor, originally expected to load at Two Harbors, indeed had a change of orders overnight. Upon showing up on the western end of Lake Superior early Tuesday morning, December 12th, Burns Harbor paced for a few laps out on open water beyond the Superior Entry, a reasonable alternative to dropping anchor in howling offshore winds. BNSF finished loading fleetmate American Century with iron ore pellets for Toledo, OH in the pre-dawn hours, and after American Century cleared the Superior Entry outbound, Burns Harbor arrived and slid into the freshly-vacated loading berth. Burns Harbor was still at the dock as of Tuesday evening.

Of the eight lakers sheltering at anchor in Whitefish Bay as of Tuesday evening, two appear to be slated for loads at BNSF: CSL Assiniboine and Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader. Also in the anchored party is Stewart J. Cort, which seems to have had a change of loading orders, switching its AIS destination from Superior to Silver Bay.

MONROE, MICHIGAN-Bill Kloss
Indiana Harbor arrived with coal for DTE.

TOLEDO, OHIO-Bill Kloss
Algoma Transport is at CSX to load coal.

MARBLEHEAD, OHIO-Bill Kloss
Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder arrived to load at Holcim.

SANDUSKY, OHIO-Bill Kloss
CSL Niagara departed with coal for Nanticoke.

CLEVELAND, OHIO-Bill Kloss
Departing were NACC Alicudi to Bath, ON and Wilfred Sykes to Marquette. American Courage is back on the shuttles and
Mark W. Barker loaded salt at Cargill and left for the Calumet River.

CONNEAUT, OHIO-Bill Kloss
Happy River departed with a destination of Montreal.

NANTICOKE, ONTARIO-Bill Kloss
Algoterra loaded petroleum products and left for Tracy, PQ. Algoluna and Algotitan are anchored