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Duluth, MN – Superior, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Rumbling into Duluth at 04:33 Monday morning to start the week’s traffic was classic laker John G. Munson, coming from Calcite with a full load of stone in her belly. A predawn trip down the harbor to CN-Hallett Dock 5 would soon find Great Lakes Fleet’s moneymaker unloading in West Duluth near the corporate office. Out on the lake, meanwhile, sleek cruise ship Viking Octantis was making her way inbound for the final time this year as the sun prepared to break the horizon. Her 06:02 arrival beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge marked the last of seven trips made to the Twin Ports in her inaugural season, with more already on the itinerary for 2023. Sister Viking Polaris, currently undergoing construction, will also be showing her pretty face next summer as the Great Lakes cruise industry continues to boom. First-time visitor Federal Frontier picked up anchor off the piers as the cruise ship paraded inbound and would soon make her own arrival 15 minutes later, squeezing her way into the Riverland Ag slip with the help of a G-tug escort to load wheat. The anchorage would soon be occupied farther to the south by another uncommon visitor in Algoma Niagara. Next on the schedule at BNSF, the Niagara is waiting for Burns Harbor to finish loading at the dock, which is reportedly experiencing some issues. At 14:27, another delivery of stone was inbound Duluth in the holds of Interlake Steamship Company’s venerable Hon. James L. Oberstar. The Oberstar made her way over to Hallett 5 just as its previous occupant, a now-empty John G. Munson, was shifting over to load ore at the CN Dock 6 gravity chutes. Still under the conveyors at the shiploader portion of the dock is James R. Barker, who also appears to be experiencing some delays. Reestborg’s scheduled evening departure from the port terminal was also pushed back to Tuesday. Fittingly, the last activity of the day would be the Octantis’ penultimate departure of 2022 at around 18:00. Her visits to the port this season represent a great opportunity for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and a sure sector for growth in the years ahead.
Marquette, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
A busy past few days at the docks ended with the Lee A. Tregurtha arriving at 14:37 and departing at 22:23. Without the backup of several ships at once, the WWII vet completed her load in a fraction of the time that it took the American Spirit and the Mark W. Barker, at just under 8 hours. She is due next at Dearborn per usual. The Hon. James L. Oberstar will be up next, likely inbound Tuesday night after it departed Duluth empty.
Holland, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41 arrived at 09:57 to unload what appears to be the second part a split load between Verplank at Grand Haven and the Padnos dock at Holland. The speed demon duo departed at 18:52, rumbling out at 7.8 knots for Burns Harbor.
Muskegon, MI – Oggdo Bogdo
The Herbert C. Jackson took a load of stone from Port Inland to Verplank (B.C. Cobb), arriving at 05:14 and departing at 17:55. Next up for Herbie is 048R, whatever that means. The Jackson’s AIS and destination can be interesting, so we’ll wait and see.
Lake Erie Ports – Bill Kloss
Monroe, MI: Harvest Spirit departed for Thunder Bay at 03:50.
Toledo, OH: Leonard M/Huron Spirit left for Cleveland late Sunday night. John D. Leitch arrived at Torco at 13:43. Federal Fraser
Marblehead, OH: Arriving at midnight was the American Courage to load stone. She departed for Ashtabula at 13:05
Sandusky, OH: Kaye E. Barker arrived at 11:34. She is loading coal for Zug Island. Cuyahoga will be next to load, arriving at 16:01 and berthing behind the Barker.
Cleveland, OH: Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader departed for Silver Bay at 07:34. Calumet arrived at 06:23 and is running a shuttle for Cliffs. Leonard M/Huron Spirit was next to arrive at 08:16, going to dock 26W at the Port. After unloading steel coils, she departed for Detroit at 19:40.
Ashtabula, OH: Algoma Mariner and American Courage are in port.
Nanticoke, ON: Algocanada departed for Sarnia at 06:05. Arrivals were Algonova for Imperial Oil at 11:36 and Baie Comeau with ore for Stelco at 11:38. Once empty, she departed at 19:53. Algoma Hansa was a late evening arrival and joined Algonova at Imperial Oil.
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.
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- Viking Octantis arrives Duluth at dawn one last time. Charles Howard Smith image, September 19
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- Reestborg sits awaiting departure at the port terminal; note the stacked hatch coverings atop her deck. Michael Konczak image, September 19
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- The future (and present) is bright for Mark W. Barker as the youngster finishes loading under the chutes at Marquette’s LS&I dock. Roxin Zhang image, September 18
