Port Reports – March 28, 2023

Port and vessel activity from March 27, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Scott Bjorklund
Duluth Entry
Central Marine Logistics’ Joseph L. Block departed Duluth early Monday morning at 01:26 (Central) with iron ore pellets for the Cleveland Bulk Terminal. Rare Twin Ports visitors Laura L. VanEnkevort and Joseph H. Thompson arrived under the bridge around 09:45 for a delay at Fraser Shipyards. Finally, Paul R. Tregurtha arrived at 18:39 for their first visit to SMET for low sulfur coal.

As of Monday night, there were no vessels on the Duluth side. Arthur M. Anderson is expected early Tuesday morning to load iron ore pellets at CN#6. Paul R. Tregurtha is estimated to depart around sunrise with coal. Arthur M. Anderson is estimated to depart early afternoon with iron ore; Laura L. VanEnkevort is expected at CN once the Anderson departs. Duluth-Superior’s first salty, Federal Dart, will be arriving mid-afternoon with cement from Turkey; unloading at Ash Grove (CRH), she will set the all-time earliest salty arrival for the port. James R. Barker will most likely anchor off Duluth in the evening waiting for space at CN. To end the busy traffic day, Baie Comeau will be arriving late evening with salt for Envirotech-Hallett #8.

Superior Entry
After icebreaking assistance from G-tug Missouri, Stewart J. Cort was able to depart Superior at 11:40 (Central) Monday morning with iron ore pellets for Burns Harbor. Thought to be next in order, American Integrity arrived at 12:18; due to a change in plans, Integrity left a few hours later at 15:45 to wait at anchor once again. Burns Harbor arrived at 17:28 Monday evening with assistance from G-tug Missouri to wait at Lakehead Pipeline. CSL St. Laurent ended Superior’s action for the day, arriving at 19:59 to load iron ore at BNSF#5 for export.

As of Monday night, Paul R. Tregutha was loading at SMET, American Spirit was still wintering at Elevator M, Burns Harbor was waiting at Lakehead Pipeline, and CSL St. Laurent was loading at BNSF#5. The load for CSL St. Laurent is expected to be longer than usual, so we might not see them depart until later Tuesday; American Integrity will most likely load next. Meanwhile, American Century and Dirk S. VanEnkevort will be anchoring off Superior to wait their turn.

Two Harbors, MN – Gary Putney
Mesabi Miner arrived Two Harbors at approx. 18:15 on 03/27. She went to South of #2. Before the Miner the CSL Laurentien and the Great Republic. The Republic loaded for Gary. Heading for Two Harbors is the American Century. She is near Sand Island. 

Thunder Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
The addition of Algoma Strongfield at 16:04 would be the only change in Thunder Bay’s boat lineup to start the week. Tying up at the G3 elevator, the Strongfield joins Equinox-class sister Algoma Harvester in port; the latter is taking on grain across the bay at Richardson Current River. The pair’s elder fleetmate Tim S. Dool is still at Midcontinent Terminal to work out some early season issues. CCGS Samuel Risley made another icebreaking sweep in the harbor midafternoon.

Marquette, MI – Anonymous
If last season’s patterns continue this season, the Hon. James L. Oberstar’s 01:20 arrival, her first of the season, will be the first of dozens. She and the ATB Victory/Maumee were the most regular visitors in 2022. The Oberstar departed at 14:37 for Dearborn, and will pass by her fleet mates Herbert C. Jackson and Kaye E. Barker, both headed for Marquette. Meanwhile, the Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader remains at the dock. Apparently, the Oberstar hogged all of the ore while the two were “sharing”.

St. Marys River – Know Your Ships
The upbound Federal Dart, headed to Duluth, was the season’s first saltwater vessel. She locked up in the early afternoon Monday. She was followed up by Thunder Bay, James R. Barker and Baie Comeau. Meanwhile, Edwin H. Gott, the first upbounder, was back downbound with pellets for Gary, followed in the early evening by Harvest Spirit. John J. Boland departed Algoma Steel around 6:30 p.m. for Duluth.

Southern Lake Michigan Ports – Andrew Meyer
Indiana Harbor, IN: Mark W. Barker began her first full season on the lakes with a trip into Indiana Harbor, arriving at 0449 on Monday.
Gary, IN: Gary is expecting the Edwin H. Gott sometime later in the evening of March 28th, in what will be the Gott’s third “first” of the year- after being the first boat through the locks and the first to load in Two Harbors, it also looks as though she’ll be the first to Gary. “Big Stripes” will likely be making this run about 40 times this year; seems fitting that she gets to be the trailblazer.
Burns Harbor, IN: An hour into Monday morning, the Herbert C. Jackson departed Burns Harbor, destined for Marquette and her first trip to Lake Superior for the season. Undaunted and Pere Marquette blew town at 1549 Monday, destined for Ferrysburg.

St. Joseph – Benton Harbor, MI – Michael Moran
It is with great excitement that I am pleased to announce the first scheduled arrival of our 2023 season: a freshly repainted G.L. Ostrander and Integrity!!! Best guess for an ETA is 0600-0800 Wednesday morning the 29th, depending on weather. The pair is making a rare trip directly from Alpena to here with a load of cement for Holcim. Not sure how long they will be in port as the weather is supposed to get rough Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Interlake’s two eldest ladies were hard at work Monday morning on their usual Motor City routes. Lee A. Tregurtha, making her first of what should be many appearances with Tilden pellets this season, arrived at 03:41 from Marquette, MI, and chugged up the River Rouge for the Cleveland-Cliffs Dearborn Works. Kaye E. Barker, 10 years her younger, was in at 09:54 from nearby Toledo, OH, with a cargo of coal for EES Coke. The Barker would later cast off from Zug Island and head up to Mistersky around 19:00 to fuel; 21:42 saw the classy gal continue upbound for Marquette on her first trip to the upper lakes this season. LAT would be pulling up the fuel dock herself before the end of the night.

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: New York/Double Skin 509A is still unloading liquid asphalt at the Port dock.
Toledo, OH: Kaye E. Barker departed for Detroit and Sam Laud moved to CSX after the Barker cleared. Once loaded, the Laud left for Manistee.
Sandusky, OH: Florence Spirit loaded coal and departed for Grand Anse, PQ.
Cleveland, OH: Finished unloading, Samuel deChamplain/Innovation departed for Alpena, MI. American Mariner brought in 27,000 tons of UTAC pellets for the Bulk Terminal. Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder is tied up and waiting for the Mariner to unload before loading another shuttle.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Frontenac departed with salt for Thunder Bay, ON.
Nanticoke, ON: Sarah Desgagnes loaded at Imperial Oil and left with Port Colborne as a destination. CSL Niagara unloaded ore at Stelco, then departed for Two Harbors once empty. Algoterra weighed anchor and moved to Imperial Oil to load.

While we do not currently have daily summaries for the following ports, their respective port authority websites post schedules of vessel traffic that are featured below. Each schedule is a miniature webpage within a box. Scroll with your cursor in 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.