Port and vessel activity from May 18, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Scott Bjorklund
Duluth Entry
Mesabi Miner departed at 12:02 (Central) Wednesday afternoon with iron ore pellets for Cleveland; Joseph L. Block arrived from anchor at 12:36 to unload limestone at CN#6. Michipicoten arrived at 17:56 to load iron ore pellets at CN, and American Mariner departed soon after at 18:14 with wheat for Buffalo. Michipicoten departed at 10:30 Thursday morning with iron ore for the Soo. American Spirit departed at 12:57 with iron ore pellets. As of Thursday night, Joseph L. Block was unloading at CN. H. Lee White is expected early Friday with limestone for Graymont; they will be leaving in the afternoon empty for Silver Bay. Joseph L. Block may be departing sometime Friday unless they load at CN before departing.
Superior Entry
Stewart J. Cort departed at 02:43 (Central) Wednesday morning with iron ore. CSL Niagara arrived at 08:37 for BNSF; they departed at 02:45 Thursday morning for Nanticoke. Algoma Conveyor arrived at 03:22 to load next at BNSF. The Conveyor departed at 19:21 Thursday evening with iron ore pellets for Hamilton. As of Thursday night, John J. Boland was the only vessel on the Superior side sitting at Fraser. Algoma Sault is expected mid-day Friday for BNSF.
Two Harbors, MN – Silver Bay, MN – Gary Putney
Walter J. McCarthy Jr. arrived Two Harbors at 04:23 on May 17 and departed at 09:09 the next morning for Indiana Harbor. Presque Isle was inbound a few minutes later. Paul R. Tregutha is heading for Two Harbors and the Shiploader. Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader were in Silver Bay from 03:27 to 14:10 on May 18 loading for Toledo.
Marquette, MI – Noah H.
The Kaye E. Barker arrived at 04:24 after jumping in front of the Herbert C. Jackson on the schedule. She departed for Toledo at 18:43, with the Jackson passing her en route to what will be an early morning arrival on Friday.
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
After a few short trips to the Heavy Lift Dock, Algoma Mariner was finally able to offload her entire cargo of steel slag at the grinding plant. She cleared for Thunder Bay just before noon on Wednesday. Fleetmate Algoma Niagara arrived at 02:22 Wednesday with salt from Compass Mineral, Goderich. After delivering salt at the bagging plant on the outer harbor, she moved to the inner harbor and dropped the remainder of her load on a dockside discharge pad. She cleared for Indiana Harbor at 15:46 Thursday. Viking Octantis arrived at 10:32 Thursday and backed to the Heavy Lift Dock. This was the final stop of an eight-day cruise from Toronto. Octantis will depart Friday evening with a new group of passengers for a cruise to Thunder Bay.
Muskegon, MI – Noah H.
Algoma Innovator made her first arrival of the season at 12:30, bringing salt from Goderich to the Verplank salt dock. She would be followed soon after by the Great Republic at 14:30, also making her first arrival of the season. The “pyramid” brought aggregate from Indiana Harbor to unload at Cobb Verplank. The two ships would also depart at similar times, with the Innovator leaving for Bruce Mines at 22:23 and the Great Republic for Port Inland at 23:15.
Ludington, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
The SS Badger 70th Anniversary Season officially got underway at 09:15 as the last coal-fired passenger steamer in the United States left port for another summer of cruising Lake Michigan. With smoke billowing from her stack, horns blaring throughout the harbor, and her handsome coat of black looking sharp as ever, the Badger made her typical crossing of the lake to Manitowoc, WI, and back on a festive day filled with excitement. Highlights from shore included a crowd of elementary students seeing the vessel off, American flags flying high from fire trucks, and a local pep band playing tunes as the Badger returned home to Ludington at 19:22.
See the video gallery near the bottom of the page for an onboard view of the season’s first voyage.
Manistee, MI – Chris Franckowiak
Manitowoc was upbound in northern Lake Huron Thursday afternoon. She is due to arrive Manistee around 09:00 Friday. She will discharge coal from Toledo, OH at the TES – Filer City dock and should depart around 19:00.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Finished unloading, Harvest Spirit departed to Thunder Bay, ON.
Toledo, OH: Manitowoc departed for Manistee, MI and Alpena unloaded cement, then left for Alpena, MI.
Lorain, OH: Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson has stone for Terminal Ready Mix.
Cleveland, OH: Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader unloaded ore at the Bulk Terminal, then departed for Duluth. Arrivals were NACC Argonaut with cement for Holcim, Federal Asahi to the Port with steel coils at Dock 24E and UAL Fortitude to the Port with containers at Dock 22W. Calumet is on another shuttle. American Courage delivered to Ontario Stone.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Frontenac left with salt for Johnstown, ON.
Nanticoke, ON: Algoterra departed with petroleum products for Tracy, PQ. Kitikmeot W and Algoberta are loading at Imperial Oil and Edwin H. Gott and CSL Tadoussac are both delivering ore to Stelco.
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.
The crew of the SS Badger invites you to (virtually) climb on deck to experience the steamship’s first cruise of 2023! Click on the following videos for a narrated onboard view as the vessel arrives and departs her home port of Ludington, MI, on May 18.