Port and vessel activity from Tuesday, May 30, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
Thunder Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
At 14:31 Tuesday afternoon, veteran Atlantic Huron’s AIS receiver came back online for the first time in weeks. The CSL self-unloader, in port at Heddle Shipyards for prop repairs, was taken out of dry dock yesterday and now sits at Keefer Terminal waiting to resume her season. Next on her agenda is a trip down the lake to Superior, WI, and her typical load of taconite at BNSF Dock 5. Her departure time was originally rumored to be Tuesday morning, but it’s anyone’s guess as to when that will be at this point.
Moving traffic began at 15:50 with the arrival of Algoma Harvester, coming in through the southern entry for a load at P&H Superior. Departing later in the evening from the elevators with cargoes of their own were Kaministiqua and Thunder Bay at 19:44 and 21:53, respectively. The Kam is headed to Sorel, ON, with a load from Richardson Main, while Thunder Bay left her namesake port after loading at Viterra B for Becancour, QC. Iryda and CSL St-Laurent wait patiently off the piers; the latter arrived to go on the hook at 18:00.
Stoneport, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Olive L. Moore/Menominee departed at 05:20 with what appears to be a split load for Essexville, MI, and Bay City, MI. Fellow tug/barge combo Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder were inbound late evening to load some stone for themselves.
Alpena, MI – Jason Luther
Arriving from Detroit at 08:25, the steamer Alpena bypassed her usual berth under the silos at Holcim for an overnight stay a little further up the harbor. Allowing for her fleetmate Samuel de Champlain and barge Innovation to load cement, arriving 14:04 and making a quick exit for McGregor Bay at 18:26. Alpena (the ship) then moved under the silos on May 30 to load product.
Due in 5/31 for her first visit to Alpena (the city) on her maiden Great Lakes voyage, is Viking Polaris. The sister ship to Octantis.
Saginaw River, MI – Todd Shorkey
Mark W. Barker called on the Saginaw River late Saturday night, traveling upriver to unload at the GM Dock in Saginaw. This was the first-ever visit for the Barker on the Saginaw River.
Meldrum Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Arriving around 10:00 to load was tug Laura L. VanEnkevort and her historic barge Joseph H. Thompson. Laura ‘n’ Joe headed outbound for the Saginaw River just under 12 hours later.
Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
An antsy Saginaw — perhaps nervously awaiting news on fleetmate Cuyahoga just like the rest of us — arrived LafargeHolcim around 05:00 with stone from Meldrum Bay. Not able to keep still, the Canadian veteran backed a ways down to Miller Aggregates Southwest (or possibly Sterling Fuels) just after noon, soon shifting back north for another unloading sesh before finally clearing for Superior, WI, at 17:30. 1,000-foot Walter J. McCarthy Jr. made an appearance shortly after Saginaw first arrived, tying up at Mistersky for fuel at 05:40 before resuming her journey to Duluth, MN, for more taconite at 09:55. She had just put ashore her previous load at Conneaut, OH.
A familiar face with a half-familiar name also cruised up the river late morning in the form of Viking Polaris, sister ship to Viking Octantis and a first-time visitor to the Great Lakes. The Polaris would moor at the port authority dock around 08:00, officially tying her big sister as the largest cruise ship to ever visit the Motor City. Ship, crew, and passengers would embark for more sightseeing in Alpena, MI, at 14:33.
Laker traffic continued at 15:40 as John J. Boland arrived from Erie, PA, at 15:40 for fuel. Leaving Mistersky at 18:14 for Calcite, MI, the Boland ceded the dock to Silver Bay, MN-bound Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader. In the meantime, Hon. James L. Oberstar was inbound the River Rouge after 17:00 with Tilden pellets hailing from Marquette, MI. As usual, she will be unloading her cargo at the Cleveland-Cliffs Dearborn Works. Joyce and her barge cast off with a full tank of gas at 20:51, finally ending the day’s traffic. Federal Yukon spent her entire Tuesday at Nicholson Detroit.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Toledo, OH: Wilfred Sykes is at Midwest Terminals and Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader is at CSX.
Lorain, OH: Calumet is unloading at Amcor.
Cleveland, OH: Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader weighed anchor and went to the Bulk Terminal with 34,000 tons of pellets to deliver, departing for Silver Bay once empty. Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement arrived to unload at the St. Marys Jefferson Street terminal. American Courage is on the shuttles.
Ashtabula, OH: Elbeborg arrived to unload at the Pinney dock.
Erie, PA: John J. Boland departed for Calcite after unloading at Carmeuse.
Buffalo, NY: New York/Double Skin 509A is unloading at Marathon.
Nanticoke, ON: Algoberta departed with petroleum products for Dartmouth, NS. Algoterra is loading at Imperial Oil. CSL Niagara arrived with coal for Stelco.
Buffalo, NY – Brian Wroblewski
The New York/DS509A tug/barge combo went to anchor off the Buffalo Breakwall around 23:00 on the night of May 29. They were waiting for the Black Rock Lock to open up on the morning of the 30th before heading down the Niagara River for Suite Kote in Tonawanda.
We do not currently have daily summaries for the following ports, but 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.