Port Reports – December 9, 2022

Unless where otherwise noted, port and vessel activity from December 8, 2022. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Wednesday, December 7 began with the departure of Walter J. McCarthy Jr. outbound through the Duluth piers a little after 01:00, her holds filled with what were likely UTAC pellets from CN Dock 6. The footer took the northern route up and around Isle Royale to begin the journey to Cleveland. Opting to take the standard path across the lake was ATB pair Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader on the pair’s 05:37 exit via the Superior Entry. Their cargo, also bound for Lake Erie (Toledo), is 34,000 tons of Hibtac pellets from BNSF Dock 5. Continuing the string of morning departures was Mesabi Miner and a 58,000-ton load of coal from SMET, this time scheduled for a split delivery between St. Clair and Monroe. A nice frozen salute on dual horns accompanied her 07:53 passage beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge. Just about two hours later, a now-saltless Algoma Innovator backed out from Compass Minerals, spun around in the inner harbor basin, and headed out riding high and empty past Canal Park. She will be taking on what is likely a load of wheat in Thunder Bay for the trip back downbound to the lower lakes. 

A nearly-empty port (minus American Spirit taking a mechanical delay at the Enbridge dock) would get restocked with a pair of arrivals later in the day. Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader would be first, heading inbound Superior just before noon for a trip to BNSF. The shiploader was stocked and ready to go with a Hibtac cargo identical to that taken on by fleetmates Clyde/Trader earlier in the day. After dark, the last full moon of the year – fittingly dubbed the “Cold Moon” – rose white and bright over the horizon of a frigid Lake Superior to guide inbound saltie Resko towards Duluth. With the help of a somewhat uncommon assist by Heritage Marine tug  Helen H., the Polsteam bulker cozied up at Berth 2 around 18:00 to offload industrial-sized bags of barite hailing from Eastern Europe. She may shift over to load grain at a Twin Ports facility upon completion or head up to Thunder Bay. After breaking ice for Mesabi Miner earlier in the day, tug Missouri would also see some action late Wednesday night by assisting American Spirit in pulling away from Enbridge and heading southeast towards Allouez Bay.

In the meantime, Joyce and her barge were making preparations to depart for Toledo and eventually cleared the Superior piers three minutes into Thursday morning. American Spirit was on hand to take over at the dock for a load of only 20,000 tons of taconite pellets – just a quick snack for a big girl like her. Missouri would again be on hand to assist the footer as she departed with the 07:12 sunrise into a winter wonderland of puffy white sea smoke.

Two Harbors, MN – Joshua Hebeisen
A 02:40 departure by Edgar B. Speer for Gary on Wednesday morning cleared a path for veteran John G. Munson later in the evening, becoming the fifth Great Lakes Fleet vessel in a row to call on Agate Bay when she arrived at 19:19. She would spend the night loading Minntac at the south side of CN Dock 2.

The Munson cleared for Gary at 03:24 the next morning, and no traffic was expected for the rest of the day. The shiploader would end up receiving one more Thursday customer, however, in the form of an unexpected emergency visit by American Spirit. Heading to the Soo following her departure from Superior, the footer abruptly changed course midafternoon and arrived Two Harbors at 17:14 for what would be a quick three-hour stay, very likely for repairs of some sort on her one remaining engine. Heritage Marine’s Nels J. saw some rare work on both the footer’s arrival and 20:29 departure.

Lake Erie Ports (12/8) – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: New York/Double Skin 509A is discharging asphalt at the Port.
Sandusky, OH: Saginaw loaded coal and departed for Algoma Steel at Sault Ste. Marie. John J. Boland arrived from Cleveland and took her place under the loader at Norfolk Southern.
Cleveland, OH: Arrivals were Joseph L. Block to the Bulk Terminal to unload UTAC pellets, Leonard M/Huron Spirit with steel coils for the Port, dock 25W and Federal Clyde to the Port, berthing at dock 26W. Departing was John J. Boland to Sandusky, Samuel DeChamplain/Innovation to Essexville, MI, McKeil Spirit to Picyton, ON, Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement for Bowmanville, ON and Joseph L. Block to Two Harbors, MN. In port are Humbergracht at the Port unloading and loading containers and American Courage on the shuttles.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Mark W. Barker unloaded at Sidley. Departures were Frontenac with salt for Toronto and H. Lee White empty to Calcite. Mark W. Barker left for Cleveland at 16:56.
Ashtabula, OH: Eeborg and Oakglen are unloading at the Pinney dock.
Conneaut, OH: American Integrity departed for the Twin Ports of Duluth-Superior.
Erie, PA: Spliethoff’s Merwedegracht arrived at 16:11.
Nanticoke, OH: Arrivals were CSL Niagara to Stelco and Arthur M. Anderson, anchoring to wait for her turn to unload. Algoma Hansa and Susana S are at Imperial Oil.

Lake Erie Ports (12/7) – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: New York/Double Skin 509A is still at the Port. Once empty, American Century departed for Superior, WI.
Toledo, OH: In port are Michipicoten, and the saltie Verila. Arrivals were Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader to unload at Ironville, CSL Niagara and Calumet to CSX. Departures were Algoma Transport for Hamilton, ON, Samuel DeChamplain/Innovation for Cleveland, OH, Saginaw to Sandusky, Michipicoten to Port Dolomite and CSL Niagara to Nanticoke.
Sandusky, OH: Lee A. Tregurtha loaded coal and departed for Zug Island in Detroit. Saginaw was a late night arrival from Toledo.
Cleveland, OH: McKeil Spirit arrived at 01:40 to unload at Lehigh Cement. The saltie Humbergracht came in at 06:40 and went to dock 22E at the Port to unload containers for Spliethoff. American Courage was erroneously reported as going to Fairport Harbor but she went to Cleveland to unload at Osborne. After emptying, she moved to the Bulk Terminal and is back on the shuttles for Cliffs. John J. Boland is at the Bulk Terminal with 28,000 tons of pellets from the Tilden mine to deliver. Samuel DeChamplain/Innovation is unloading at Holcim Cement. Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement is at St. Marys Cement. G tug Mississippi arrived for repairs and other work at the Great Lakes Shipyard.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Frontenac is at Morton Salt and H. Lee White unloaded at Osborne.
Ashtabula, OH: Eeborg and Oakglen at the Pinney dock.
Conneaut, OH: American Integrity is unloading ore at the P&C dock.
Nanticoke, OH: Departures were Algonorth for Sarnia and Leonard M/Huron Spirit for Toledo. Algoma Hansa moved to Imperial Oil and Susana S remains anchored off of Port Dover.

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
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Hamilton, ON – Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority
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