Port Reports – December 23, 2022

Unless where otherwise noted, port and vessel activity from December 22, 2022. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Leaving the safety of her cozy Keweenaw nook and making it across the last stretch of Lake Superior, Joseph L. Block finally arrived the Duluth piers at 01:16 ready to spend a few days hibernating in port. Other vessels will likely be doing the same with impending blizzard conditions and gusting winds due to slam the Midwest courtesy of a bomb cyclone. Handsome Joe spun around off Connors Point and backed her way beneath the Blatnik Bridge to CN Dock 6, taking up position beneath the shiploader for a late-season load of taconite. The dock’s previous occupant, James R. Barker, departed from the port terminal fuel dock shortly thereafter and made an exit beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge at 02:07. Ironically, she would soon end up taking up the Block’s old spot in Keweenaw Bay alongside sister Mesabi Miner. 

Arthur M. Anderson made her way back to the Twin Ports at 02:33 with one last load of Calcite lime for the season. The steamer tied up at CN-Hallett 5 to unload just south of John J. Boland, also at the dock to discharge the last 2022 output from Calcite’s Carmeuse quarry. The latter has remained motionless for over two days and is reportedly experiencing mechanical issues, not an uncommon occurrence in the subzero winter temps. H. Lee White, John G. Munson, and Michipicoten would all go to anchor off Minnesota Point throughout the remainder of the morning, where they joined a growing flotilla of ships already including American Spirit and Indiana Harbor. CSL Laurentien and Edgar B. Speer would later join the party that figures to be raging for several days until the storm passes.

With the anchored entourage in position and boatwatching faithful lining the piers, the stage was all set for the arrival of the grand lady of the lakes. Steamer Alpena, celebrating her 80th season of operation in 2022, dramatically sailed out of the sea smoke and through a cold Duluth Ship Canal just after 11:00 on her first and only Twin Ports trip of the season. After giving a dual-horn steam salute to the bridge on her twin Leslie Tyfons, the cement-laden classic journeyed down Superior Bay to Holcim to begin transferring her cargo to storage barge J.A.W. Iglehart. The two aging fleetmates will have ample time to catch up while waiting out the weather.

Also making a stunning arrival in winter conditions would be American Century, with sea smoke illuminated by searchlights pouring over her deck while entering the canal at 19:06. The footer would, as usual, back into SMET for a load of coal. At 20:52, the last saltie of the 2022 shipping season would pass beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge with a load of wheat for Europe. Federal Kushiro took the honors and fell just one day short of the record for the latest saltie departure from the Twin Ports. Eager to exit the Seaway before the closure of the Welland Canal on December 31, Kushiro would brave the lake by taking the safe route along the northern shoreline. H. Lee White would end her brief stint at anchor with an arrival for the port terminal at 21:43.

Other vessels in port Thursday night included American Integrity taking a delay at Enbridge and Stewart J. Cort loading nearby at BNSF.

Two Harbors, MN – Joshua Hebeisen
Edgar B. Speer wrapped up her load at CN Dock 2 and cleared around 19:00, giving way for fleetmate Great Republic to shiver her way in from the cold 30 minutes later. Though the Speer is eventually due to unload in Gary, she would first head for anchor off Duluth-Superior in anticipation of nasty weather to come. The eastern end of the lake may be impenetrable until Christmas Day or late.

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Marblehead, OH: Cuyahoga loaded stone at Holcim and departed for Windsor. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder weighed anchor and moved to the dock.
Sandusky, OH: CSL Niagara loaded coal and anchored in Lake Erie.
Cleveland, OH: Calumet arrived at the Bulk Terminal, unloaded ore and then loaded a shuttle. Leonard M/Huron Spirit is at the Port docks. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder left for Marblehead. Mark W. Barker loaded salt at Cargill then left for Detroit. She made it to the Cedar Point anchorage and anchored to wait out weather. American Courage is loading a shuttle.
Fairport Harbor, OH: CSL Tadoussac arrived to load at Morton Salt.
Ashtabula, OH: Federal Dee departed for Montreal. Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader arrived with stone from Calcite, MI. After unloading the tug and barge departed for Marblehead.
Nanticoke, OH: Algonova and Algocanada are at Imperial Oil.

While we do not currently have daily write-ups for the following ports, their respective port authority websites post schedules of vessel traffic that are embedded below. Each schedule takes the form of a miniature webpage within a box – scroll with your cursor within 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.