Port Reports – November 25, 2022

Unless where otherwise noted, port and vessel activity from November 24, 2022. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.

Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
A Twin Ports Turkey Day got off to an early start with saltie Juno clearing the Duluth piers just 36 minutes into the holiday morning. Polsteam’s 2011-built bulker is headed outbound the Seaway with a load of wheat that will likely wind up in Europe. Several hours later, Arthur M. Anderson steamed up, up, and away from the dock at CN 6, making her way out the big lake as Joseph L. Block shifted from the east to take her spot at the shiploader. The Anderson is loaded with taconite for Gary; the Block’s cargo is either pellets or sinter – stay tuned. 

The real treat of the day (for which boatnerds were very thankful) was a double-Barker feature beginning at 06:09 with the newest of the bunch, Mark W. The Baby Barker has somewhat surprisingly been a common sight in the harbor this fall and will be loading ore at CN after the Block. She currently lies tied-up alongside the eastern dock facing to wait her turn. Big Daddy Barker (James R.) made an entrance of her own at 09:05,  with who else at the helm but Captain Moosey Smith. A big Thanksgiving Bark was in order, and Moosey gave a short toot of the whistle before entering the canal to make sure the frozen horns were all warmed up and ready for the occasion. Once tied up at SMET with coal loading underway, the captain retired to the galley to gorge himself on a delicious holiday dinner. The delicious treats cooked up by the steward left the little moose filled with even more stuffing than usual – so much, in fact, that he was forced to let (Assistant to the) Captain Brad Newland take over on the 19:46 departure for St. Clair and Monroe.

Other traffic throughout the late afternoon and early evening included Philip R. Clarke clearing Duluth for Gary with blast furnace trim (16:12), Michipicoten in for another Superior speed load (18:26), and American Century arriving beneath the bridge for another SMET load (20:53). The Michip’ was somehow back on the road to the Soo by 22:30. Fleetmates Merwedegracht and Floragracht spent their holiday back-to-back at the port terminal, the former unloading and the latter awaiting her next cargo.

Brevort, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
Defiance/Ashtabula were up and at ’em early Thursday morning with a 01:00 departure for Buffalo. 

Port Inland, MI – Andrew Meyer
H. Lee White made a standard 12-hour visit to Port Inland, arriving just before noon on Wednesday and was outbound early morning on Thursday.

Marinette, WI – Menominee, MI – MKE Marine Reports
At Marinette, Federal Mayumi arrived Tuesday November 22 with pig iron from the Rio Tinto iron and titanium complex in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. The iron will be used by Waupaca Foundry’s Marinette plant, which makes high-grade ductile iron castings primarily for the automotive and agricultural industries.

The pig iron was unloaded at Marinette Fuel and Dock using a Sennebogen 875 crawler gantry crane equipped with an electro lifting magnet. Before the “green monster,” cargo would have been transferred using the crane barge William H. Donner. Built as a bulk carrier in 1914, the Donner was converted to a crane ship in 1956. After her sailing days ended in 1970, she spent several years tied up at Milwaukee handling scrap metal for Miller Compressing. She moved north in 1992.

Southern Lake Michigan Ports – Andrew Meyer
Calumet Harbor, IL: Egbert Wagenborg departed at 2018 on Wednesday for Duluth, in what has been an identical seaway visit to her sister Maxima so far. If she loads at the old Peavey Elevator, I think it would be an exact match.
Indiana Harbor, IN: After the Mesabi Miner’s departure on Wednesday early afternoon, The next traffic in Indiana Harbor would be the Sam Laud and Wilfred Sykes. The Laud arrived at 1412 and the Sykes arrived from Burns Harbor on shuttle duty at 1604. 
Gary, IN: The Walter J. McCarthy Jr made her exit at 1021 on Wednesday morning. Things were quiet on Turkey Day. The Edgar B. Speer is due over the weekend, as is the Arthur M. Anderson. The Anderson has been working Lake Huron lately, so it will be nice to see her back on the route she’s been on most of the season.
Burns Harbor, IN: The Wilfred Sykes arrived on Wednesday afternoon as AIS foretold, and would spend about 24 hours in port before a Thanksgiving day departure around 1400. Ol’ Number 1 began her weekly pilgrimage to Burns at 2002. Saltie Federal Kivalina is due to arrive Friday morning.

Grand Haven, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
Not to be outdone by Muskegon’s rare ship selection, Grand Haven is thankful for the John G. Munson’s appearance at 23:17, and will hope for a daytime departure. The classic laker is unloading cargo from Bruce Mines. This is the Munson’s second arrival of the season, the first coming October 10, but she hadn’t made any arrivals in the several years before 2022.

Grand Haven, MI – Matthew Uthe
John G Munson inbound for Grand Haven, Michigan after loading at Bruce Mines, Ontario, Canada. This will be the Munson’s second visit of the 2022 shipping season to the Port of Grand Haven.

Muskegon, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
The ageless Alpena steamed out early on Thanksgiving morning at 01:23, headed back to her namesake port to reload. A few hours later, the less old but far rarer Sam Laud departed for Indiana Harbor at 07:17. In other rare ship news, the Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader is due for an arrival from Meldrum Bay, which would be its first Muskegon trip in at least several years, according to vessel logs.

Meldrum Bay, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader are currently loading up with stone for a rare trip to Muskegon. The pair arrived at approximately 16:00 Thursday afternoon.

Goderich, ON – Bruce Douglas
Algoma Buffalo cleared 05.41 Thursday upbound for Parry Sound with salt. Saltie Rodopi continues loading at elevators.

Alpena, MI – Jason Luther
It’s been a busy week for Alpena. Tuesday saw the third visit this fall by Algoma Buffalo from Goderich, to replenish the road salt stockpile at the mouth of Thunder Bay River. The steamer Alpena departed LaFarge with a load of cement for Muskegon.

Turkey Day saw the arrival of ATB Samual D. Champlain with barge Innovation pulling up under the silos of LaFarge at 13:54. Due back in port early tomorrow morning is the Alpena, back again from Muskegon.

Stoneport, MI – Joshua Hebeisen
M/V “Manny” Manitowoc took the dock at three o’clock to load some stone for Monroe. She made her departure sometime in the afternoon, though spotty AIS coverage made it difficult to pinpoint exactly when. In the meantime, Olive L. Moore/Menominee appeared to head inbound around 14:15.

Calcite, MI – Andrew Meyer
The John J. Boland arrived at 1502 on Wednesday and the Great Republic arrived at 1856. The Boland would depart at 1036 Thanksgiving Day, the Republic has yet to leave.

Detroit, MI – Windsor, ON – Joshua Hebeisen
A busy day in the Motor City saw some nice boat traffic complement the Turkey Day football game taking place downtown. American Courage called on Mistersky shortly after 05:00 to fuel on the way to Cedarville, continuing on her merry way three hours later. Loaded with coal from Sandusky, Herbert C. Jackson was inbound shortly after the Courage and went to EES Coke to unload. Her own departure would take place at 19:19, bound for Stoneport and another load before the docks close for the season. Another Interlake classic in veteran Lee A. Tregurtha would make an appearence in port soon after 12:00 kickoff. All 826 feet of 1942-vintage steel was skillfully guided up the River Rouge and into Dearborn with another taconite delivery for Cliffs. Lee was back on her way up to Marquette at 23:44 and should be back in just a few days.

A series of tug/barge bustle was next on the menu with Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson arriving Mistersky at 13:05, New York/Double Skin 509A heading outbound for Tonawanda before 17:00, and Clyde S. VanEnkevort pulling in at EES Coke around midnight with the facility’s second coal delivery of the day. Laura and Thompson eventually continued upbound for Meldrum Bay at 15:28. A pair of salties are also in port as of Thursday night; Federal Fraser is occupied at Nicholson while Fuldaborg waits at anchor for an opening at ADM. The latter was inbound the river midafternoon, and should be next in line after Harvest Spirit wraps things up overnight.

Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Leonard M/Huron Spirit is at the Port dock.
Toledo, OH: Departures were Oakglen to Baie Comeau, Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger to Cleveland and Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader left for Detroit at 18:04. Arrivals to the Glass City were Wilf Seymour/Alouette Spirit to Midwest Terminals at 05:56, Manitoulin at 17:52 and American Mariner at 08:05, both to CSX. Federal Nagara is in port.
Marblehead, OH: American Courage loaded stone and left for Marine City. Calumet arrived at 15:48.
Sandusky, OH: Herbert C. Jackson left at 03:24 with coal for Detroit and CSL Niagara left at 06:25.
Cleveland, OH: Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement arrived at 03:38 and went to the St. Marys Jefferson St. terminal. Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger arrived at 11:42 and went to the St. Marys Columbus St. terminal. With only a partial cargo to unload, it was an easy turnaround as the tug and barge departed for Charlevoix at 20:22. Federal St. Laurent is at the Port docks. Calumet departed for Marblehead at 10:44.
Fairport Harbor, OH: Once empty, Laura L. VanEnkevort/Joseph H. Thompson left for Meldrum Bay.
Nanticoke, OH: Edwin H. Gott arrived at 03:28 with ore for Stelco. She departed for Two Harbors at 18:48 once she was finished unloading. Harbour Fountain departed for Sarnia. Algonorth and Algoterra are at Imperial Oil. Still anchored are Algoma Hansa and Algonova.

While we do not currently have daily write-ups for the following ports, their respective port authority websites post schedules of vessel traffic that are embedded below. Each schedule takes the form of a miniature webpage within a box – scroll with your cursor within 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.