Port and vessel activity from Monday, May 29, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Scott Bjorklund
Duluth Entry
Thursday: Michipicoten departed at 04:11 (Central) for Algoma Steel. Clyde S. VanEnkevort was the only arrival for the day, entering Duluth at 23:41 to unload limestone at Graymont.
Friday: Mesabi Miner finally departed early in the morning at 04:37 with iron ore pellets for the TORCO dock in Toledo. American Spirit arrived soon after at 05:16 to load iron ore pellets at CN. Paul R. Tregurtha arrived at 18:11 that evening to load low sulfur coal at SMET.
Saturday: Great Republic was the first arrival for Saturday when they entered under the Aerial Bridge at 01:45 with limestone for C. Reiss. Paul R. Tregurtha departed at 10:36 with coal for DTE St. Clair. Michipicoten was back for another load of iron ore, arriving at 11:51 for CN. Great Republic departed at 14:49 Saturday afternoon empty for Two Harbors.
Sunday: American Spirit finally departed Duluth early in the morning at 04:08 for Cleveland. American Century arrived at 05:06 to fuel then load low sulfur coal at SMET. Due to a backup at Two Harbors, Great Republic returned at 09:16 to load at CN Duluth. Michipicoten departed at 10:13 for Algoma Steel. Joseph L. Block arrived at 17:09 with limestone for CN-Hallett #5. CSL Assiniboine arrived at 20:15 to load iron ore pellets at CN#6. Great Republic finished out the day’s traffic, departing at 23:32 with iron ore for Indiana Harbor.
Monday: Joseph L. Block departed empty at 04:43 to wait outside Duluth for dock space in Two Harbors. Steamer Philip R. Clarke arrived at 07:24 with limestone for CN-Hallett #5. American Century finally departed at 21:23 with coal for St. Clair. Finally, CSL Assiniboine departed at 21:36 with iron ore for export through Quebec City. As of Monday night, Philip R. Clarke was waiting on the east side of CN#6.
Our first cruise ship of the season, Viking Octantis, is expected around sunrise Tuesday morning; they will be departing early evening for their next destination. Philip R. Clarke may depart sometime Tuesday with iron ore pellets, unless they wait for dock space at Two Harbors.
Superior Entry
Burns Harbor departed early Thursday morning at 00:43 (Central) with iron ore for its namesake port; G3 Marquis arrived soon after at 01:50 for their turn at BNSF. G3 Marquis departed at 02:08 Friday morning for Quebec City, allowing Capt. Henry Jackman to load next. The Jackman departed at 22:26 with iron ore for Quebec City. Clyde S. VanEnkevort departed at 11:22 Saturday morning for Toledo. CSL Tadoussac arrived a few hours later at 12:58 to load for Stelco. CSL Tadoussac departed at 00:01 Sunday morning with iron ore. Indiana Harbor arrived at 04:39 that morning to load next at BNSF; they departed Monday morning at 04:31 for Gary. James R. Barker arrived at 05:13 to load at BNSF, and they departed at 18:10. Finally, Frontenac arrived at 18:33 to load at BNSF for Stelco.
As of Monday night, Frontenac was loading at BNSF while Stewart J. Cort waited outside the entry. Frontenac is estimated to depart sometime Tuesday morning; once they depart, the Cort will move in to load next at BNSF.
Two Harbors, MN – Gary Putney
American Integrity arrived on the 27th at 03:19 and departed on the 28th at 16:13 for Indiana Harbor. The Edwin H. Gott arrived on the 28th at 16:52 and departed at 16:47 the next night for the Gary Works. Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin is heading for Two Harbors.
Thunder Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
In a welcome sight at Heddle Shipyards, CSL’s veteran Atlantic Huron was towed out from dry dock by tugs Point Valour and Glenada on Memorial Day morning. The Canadian laker has been in port since April due to propellor issues, which required a trip to the yard to repair. Boatwatchers can expect to see the vessel once again sailing the lakes from Hur-on out this summer — she is reportedly due in the Twin Ports within the next few days.
Milwaukee, WI – MKE Marine Reports
After delivering steel from IJmuiden, Netherlands, Federal Asahi cleared for Goderich Friday afternoon. Algoma Innovator arrived Friday night with deicing salt from Goderich. She departed Saturday morning. Federal Dee arrived from Burns Harbor at 06:11 Saturday with steel from Antwerp, Belgium. She backed into south slip one, outer harbor, and tied up at the Federal Marine Terminals Dock. 30 minutes later, Wilfred M. Cohen pushing PML 9000 arrived with steel coils from Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. After delivering part of her load at the Heavy Lift Dock, the pair cleared for Burns Harbor Saturday evening. GL Ostrander/Integrity arrived from Alpena at 21:15 Sunday with cement for Holcim. The Hapag-Lloyd cruise ship Hanseatic Inspiration arrived at 08:09 Monday and tied up at the South Shore Cruise Dock. Entering service in 2019, she was supposed to visit the Great Lakes in 2020 but COVID prevented that. Hapag-Lloyd last offered cruises around the Great Lakes in 2011 when it operated the C. Columbus (now MV Hamburg).
St. Joseph – Benton Harbor, MI – Michael Moran
On Monday the tug Undaunted, a World War II veteran tug, and the barge Pere Marquette 41, a former railroad ferry, stopped in the port of St. Joseph. The pair are unloading slag for road construction at Benton Harbor’s Central Dock, owned by Rieth-Riley Construction.
Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Niagara cleared at 15:38 Sunday downbound for Johnstown, ON, with salt. Federal Asahi arrived at 07:09 Sunday and is at the elevators. Algoma Intrepid arrived at 21:19 Sunday and loaded at Compass Minerals.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
May 28
Toledo, OH: Victory/Maumee departed to Sault Ste. Marie. Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader is at Ironville. Mesabi Miner was a late night arrival.
Marblehead, OH: Herbert C. Jackson departed with stone for Cleveland.
Sandusky, OH: American Mariner loaded coal and left for Algoma Steel at the Soo.
Cleveland, OH: Herbert C. Jackson arrived at RiverDock, unloaded stone then departed for Marquette, MI. Assisted by G tugs Ohio and Indiana, the steamer Wilfred Sykes arrived from Drummond Island to deliver to the Cliffs stone dock. American Courage is running another shuttle for Cliffs.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson arrived in the morning to unload at Osborne. The tug and barge departed for Meldrum Bay once empty.
Ashtabula, OH: Calumet had a split delivery of stone for Ashtabula and Fairport Harbor. After emptying out, she departed for Detroit.
Buffalo, NY: Defiance/Ashtabula departed to Calcite.
Nanticoke, ON: Algoberta is loading at Imperial Oil. CSL Niagara seems to be on a “shuttle” of her own. She unloaded coal at Stelco, and departed for a return to Sandusky. Presque Isle has ore for Stelco.
May 29
Toledo, OH: Kaye E. Barker is still at CSX. Fleetmate Mesabi Miner unloaded at Torco, then left for Duluth once empty. Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader departed for Calcite after unloading at Ironville. Wilfred Sykes is docked at Midwest Terminals.
Kingsville, ON: Cuyahoga remains tied up at Southwestern Sales Co.
Sandusky, OH: CSL Niagara arrived for another coal load at Norfolk Southern.
Lorain, OH: Calumet has salt for Amcor.
Cleveland, OH: Wilfred Sykes departed for Toledo. Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader is anchored in Lake Erie, waiting for American Courage to finish loading a shuttle.
Conneaut, OH: Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. arrived with ore for the P&C dock. After unloading, she left for Two Harbors.
Erie, PA: John J. Boland delivered stone to Carmeuse.
Buffalo, NY: New York/Double Skin 509A arrived late Monday night at the Marathon terminal in Tonawanda with liquid asphalt.
Nanticoke, ON: Once empty, Presque Isle departed for Two Harbors, MN. Algoterra anchored off of Port Dover while fleetmate Algoberta continues loading at Imperial Oil.
Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
The Vermont came down to tow the Defiance/Ashtabula out to the lake at 09:00 on the 28th.
Hamilton, ON – Janey Anderson
Molly M1 loaded a large cement kiln on her barge in Hamilton coming from the saltwater vessel Billie’s cargo hold. The tug/barge combo were expected to depart Monday night for the Lafarge Cement Plant in Bath, Ontario.
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.
Click on the video above to watch as tug/barge combo Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41 arrive St. Joseph, MI, with slag, courtesy of Captain Daniel Hobbs.