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Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
A beautiful June day in Duluth-Superior kicked off with a CSL two-fer on the Wisconsin side of the harbor. After loading taconite pellets overnight at BNSF Dock 5, CSL Niagara cleared the Superior piers at 06:13 on her way to Stelco’s Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke. Her fleetmate Frontenac weighed anchor and was inbound less than 30 minutes later to load 27,000 tons of Keetac pellets, also for Nanticoke. Later in the morning, Interlake’s Lee A. Tregurtha woke up from her prolonged slumber at Fraser Shipyards, making a long-awaited departure underneath the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge at 10:41. She was due next in Marquette to load her first cargo of the season; however, plans changed when the veteran laker presumably suffered a mechanical problem not far up the lake and turned back for the Twin Ports. As luck would have it, this placed the Lee A. Tregurtha on a course to Duluth directly behind the Paul R. Tregurtha. The two vessels’ namesakes are husband and wife, making for a date night in the harbor as Paul and Lee arrived at 17:49 and 18:05, respectively. While Mr. Tregurtha turned at Connors Point and backed in to Midwest Energy to load coal, Mrs. Tregurtha was escorted back to Fraser once again by G-tug Arkansas. Speculation on the waterfront is that she may be dealing with steering issues. Frontenac departed Superior at 20:43, and Arthur M. Anderson slipped into Duluth before 23:00 with limestone for C. Reiss. American Spirit is still taking a delay at the Enbridge dock. Like the Lee A. Tregurtha, she too is presumably experiencing mechanical difficulties after an extended lay-up.
Two Harbors, MN – Silver Bay, MN – Gary Putney
Edgar B. Speer departed Two Harbors on June 8 at 21:43 with a tug assist from Heritage Marine’s Nels J. The Speer is heading for the Gary Works. The Walter J. McCarthy Jr. arrived Two Harbors on June 9 at 03:03. As of 19:45, she is still at the loading dock. She is loading for Indiana Harbor. When the Edwin H. Gott departed Two Harbors, her AIS hadn’t been updated. She is on eastern Lake Erie, and it appears she’s headed for Nanticoke.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Sault is loading at Compass Minerals. Algoma Intrepid arrived 14:25 Thursday and tied up at the north pier waiting to load salt. Algoma Innovator is expected next, also for salt. Goderich has hosted 50 lake boats so far this season.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Iver Bright departed for Sarnia at 10:37.
Toledo, OH: Departures were Federal Hudson for Montreal and Great Republic for Port Inland. In port are Miedwie and Algoma Transport. Herbert C. Jackson arrived at 10:03.
Marblehead, OH: Cuyahoga arrived at 06:36 to load stone at Holcim. She left for Kingsville at 13:17.
Kingsville, ON: Cuyahoga arrived at 19:40 to unload at Southwestern Sales Co.
Sandusky, OH: Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin arrived at Norfolk Southern at 19:56 to load coal.
Lorain, OH: Defiance/Ashtabula arrived at 03:06 and unloaded stone at Carmeuse.
Cleveland, OH: Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder left at 08:52 with salt for Milwaukee. Arrivals were McKeil Spirit at 12:49 to unload at Lehigh Cement, Peyton Lynn C at 13:48 with containers for the Port, and Algoma Buffalo at 17:26 to load at Cargill.
Conneaut, OH: Presque Isle arrived at 07:28 and unloaded ore at the P&C dock.
Nanticoke, ON: Algonova left with petroleum products for Halifax at 13:09. Algoma Hansa arrived at 08:52, anchored off of Port Dover, and went to Imperial Oil at 13:36. Algosea weighed anchor and left for Sarnia. Edwin H. Gott was a late-night arrival to Stelco.
Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
NACC Capri wrapped up her unload operation at Holcim and got underway with the tug New Jersey at her stern for a trip down to the lake at 11:23 on June 5. The tug was released once clear of the Buffalo Skyway, and she took off to go help the Manitoulin, which had picked up the hooks out in the lake after waiting overnight. The big grain boat came in the northern entrance and pointed herself down the outer harbor so the Capri could scoot right by and clear the channel. The New Jersey picked up the stern line from the Manitoulin, and they proceeded in for ADM Standard as the Capri headed out on her own right past them. The tow went slow and steady, arriving at the elevator around 13:00.
Since Manitoulin only had a split load, she was done relatively quickly and departed the Standard elevator at 06:00 on June 6. Later that afternoon, the American Mariner arrived for the Frontier elevator with wheat from General Mills Terminal S-X in Superior at 16:00. She came in without tugs and spent about two days in Buffalo before backing out and departing by herself on the afternoon of the 8th at 13:00.