Please send port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
30 minutes before midnight, Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader backed out of BNSF Dock 5 and departed Superior with 35,000 tons of Hibtac pellets for Toledo. CSL Niagara, anchored off the piers waiting her turn, was inbound just minutes into Friday morning to load. Also using the Superior Entry were Samuel de Champlain/Innovation at 00:49 on departure from Holcim. The pair is headed to Alpena for a cement refill. Government vessel Kiyi started Friday’s traffic in Duluth when she departed the DECC for Lake Superior at 07:04, due next in the Apostole Islands to continue her geological survey. The Niagara departed Superior for Nanticoke later in the morning at 09:53, allowing her anchored fleetmate Frontenac to proceed inbound to load at 10:38. The CSL BNSF relay would continue later in the evening when Frontenac made her own departure at 20:05, also for Nanticoke, freeing up the dock for Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin. The Martin had been anchored off the piers since 11:00; she too will be loading for Nanticoke. In the meantime, James R. Barker made a Duluth departure from CN Dock 6 at 11:06, headed to Indiana Harbor with what is likely a load of UTAC pellets. Boatnerds will have to wait until this fall to hear the vaunted Barker Bark, as her usual captain is on vacation until September. Candace Elise/Robert F. Deegan were outbound 15 minutes later for Ludington after discharging calcium chloride at EnviroTech-Hallett Dock 8. Federal Caribou remains at Gavilon as of Friday night, but is expected to depart soon.
Marquette, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
American Spirit arrived at 01:58 for the north side of the LS&I dock, backing in to load with her starboard side against the dock facing. Shortly after 09:00, she cast off and came around bow-first to reposition with her port side under the chutes instead. This process allows the footer to obtain an even load due to her massive beam.
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Interlake newbuild Mark W. Barker departed at 10:35 to begin her second round of sea trails. It is only a matter of time before there are not two, but three Barkers hard at work on the Great Lakes.
Grand Haven, MI – Matthew Uthe
Prentiss Brown/St. Mary’s Challenger arrived this morning with cement to unload. The Challenger loaded the cement in Charlevoix, Michigan.
Muskegon, MI – Matthew Uthe
Lee A Tregurtha inbound Muskegon, Michigan. The Lee Tregurtha should arrive around 10 am tomorrow morning.
Southern Lake Michigan Ports – Joshua Hebeisen
Calumet Harbor, IL: Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41 were inbound 23:24 Thursday night for Middle River Marine before departing for Marinette at 08:00 the following morning. Caroline McKee/Commander arrived at 13:43 and tied up at St. Marys near Lake Calumet; however, the tug’s AIS indicated she soon moved down to the terminals along S. Butler Drive. It is unclear if she took her barge with her or if it remains at the dock unloading.
Buffington, IN: Arriving from Drummond Island at 17:14 was Hon. James L. Oberstar.
Gary, IN: Ashtabula/Defiance were outbound at 03:00 for Stoneport.
Burns Harbor, IN: Burns Harbor arrived at 04:14 for Cleveland-Cliffs, joining Federal Montreal in port.
Saginaw River, MI – Todd Shorkey
There were a total of 26 commercial vessel passages on the Saginaw River for the month of June 2022, with 13 different docks receiving 33 separate deliveries of product, accounting for split cargos delivered to multiple docks. This represents six more passages than in June 2021, and is more than all of the long term averages with the 5-year average at 25 passages, the 10-year average at 22, and the 15-year average at 22 passages.
For the total number of commercial vessel passages for the year-to-date, the number is 59. This number represents an increase of five passages based on the total from last year at this point. Looking at the averages, it is again an increase compared to the 5-year average of 54 passages, 10-year average of 46 passages, and the 15-year average of 48 passages.
Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Headed upbound from Toledo on Tuesday, July 5, James R. Barker stopped to fuel at Mistersky at 03:24. She would continue upbound with a reported destination of Two Harbors at 06:30; her orders, however, would end up being changed to Duluth. While the Barker was at the dock, Algoma Innovator was inbound at 04:47 for the River Rouge. The self-unloader swung around her bow-mounted boom and appeared to unload at the Levy facility just up the river from Zug Island. She headed back upbound for Sarnia at 18:16. Arriving at 11:59, 14:53, and 17:07, respectively, were Hon. James L. Oberstar with Tilden pellets for Dearborn, Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger for Mistersky with an empty tank, and American Courage for fuel as the Brown/Challenger departed for Charlevoix simultaneously. The Courage continued her upbound journey at 19:42 en route to the St. Clair River. After spending nearly 24 hours in port at St. Marys, Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin shifted across the Detroit River to Sterling Fuels at around 20:30. Herbert C. Jackson was inbound at 21:17 for Levy.
After unloading at Dearborn, Hon. James L. Oberstar sailed down the Rouge in the midnight black of Wednesday morning for fuel at Mistersky. She tied up at the dock around 01:00 and left port for Drummond Island two hours later. Also departing with a full tank of fuel was Hon. Paul J. Martin at 04:33 from the Windsor side of the river. The CSL laker was due next in Superior for ore. Edwin H. Gott, upbound for Two Harbors after delivering taconite to Stelco’s Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, stopped in port between 09:15 and 12:17 for Mistersky fuel. Herbert C. Jackson departed at 10:01 for an unknown port. Just before 11:00, cruise ship Viking Octantis was inbound the Detroit River with her passengers and tied up at Nicholson. She would depart in the evening (20:39) for her next destination, as usual, but not before making a quick trip back up the river to test her ability to dock at the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority’s Carl M. Levin facility. This berth was constructed with the ability to accommodate cruise vessels and presents a much better tourist environment than Nicholson, but was initially believed to be too small for the 665-foot Octantis. It will be interesting to see where the vessel lets her passengers ashore on her next trip to port. At 15:34, Lee A. Tregurtha arrived on another one of her frequent visits to Dearborn with ore from Marquette. Florence Spirit shifted from Windsor ADM to the west side of Zug Island at 20:55 to load coke, while Algoma Transport tied up at the island’s south side with coal for EES Coke at 23:44.
The Tregurtha cast off from Dearborn at 02:15 Thursday, making her way down the Rouge in the early morning hours before tying up at Mistersky just after 05:00. LAT would later proceed outbound for Calcite at 06:31. Former fleetmates American Mariner and American Century were back-to-back mid-morning Mistersky customers while in port from 07:21-10:36 and 10:25-13:20, respectively. While the Mariner is headed for Gary, the Century is due next in the Twin Ports. Saltie Federal Frontier followed the American pair upbound at 15:37 for Thunder Bay after spending several days at Nicholson. Algoma Transport and Florence Spirit departed Zug Island between 18:00 and 19:00 for Goderich and Hamilton, respectively. Kaye E. Barker arrived at 21:08 for Dearborn from Marquette, and G.L. Ostrander/Integrity were inbound from Alpena at 21:45 for Holcim with cement.
CSL’s Trillium-class laker Thunder Bay shifted from LafargeHolcim to Windsor Salt just after 02:00 Friday morning. She had arrived at the former dock during the day on Thursday. Dirk S. VanEnkevort arrived from Toledo at 05:46 to fuel at Mistersky, while Ocean Voyager tied up at the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority to let her passengers ashore around 08:00. The VanEnkevort guided the Trader out for Calcite at 08:19, and were followed by the upbound Kaye E. Barker about an hour later. G.L. Ostrander/Integrity were downbound departures at 10:58, headed to Toledo to unload the next portion of their cement cargo. In a 30-minute period from 18:30 to 19:00, the Voyager departed for Little Current with her passengers back on board, Iver Bright arrived for Marathon, and Victory/Maumee were inbound from Toledo for Mistersky. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder were sailing up the Rouge after 22:00 with an unknown destination.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Toledo, OH: Departures were Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader Victory/Maumee and Leonard M/Huron Spirit. G.L. Ostrander/Integrity was the only arrival. Greenwing and Olive L. Moore/Menominee are still in port.
Marblehead, OH: Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson departed for Fairport Harbor at 02:52. Cuyahoga moved to Holcim at 03:25. She loaded stone and left for Windsor at 17:36.
Sandusky, OH: Calumet arrived at 20:35 to unload salt at the Gradel dock.
Cleveland, OH: Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. arrived at the Bulk Terminal at 05:25 to unload ore. She unloaded and departed for Duluth at 19:58. New York/Double Skin 509A arrived at 06:34, anchored in Lake Erie to wait for a tug. When one became available, the tug/barge entered the river at 09:35 and proceeded to the Marathon terminal to unload petroleum products. Wilfred Sykes departed for Cedarville at 09:39. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder left at 10:28 with salt for Detroit. Leonard M/Huron Spirit was a late night arrival to the Port.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Calumet departed for Sandusky at 14:29.
Ashtabula, OH: Maria G departed the Pinney dock at 12:09. Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson arrived at 19:38 to unload stone at the Pinney dock.
Erie, PA: Saltie Gwen left for Buffalo at 19:25. Sam Laud arrived at 19:54. She has stone for Carmeuse.