Port and vessel activity from Wednesday, September 20, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Please send future port reports to news@boatnerd.net.
Two Harbors, MN – Gary Putney
September 17
Edgar B. Speer departed at 17:16 from Two Harbors for Conneaut.
September 18
Michipicoten is upbound near Gros Cap Light at 18:00 heading for Two Harbors to load.
September 19
At 18:00, the Michipicoten was 1–2 hours from docking at Two Harbors.
September 20
As of 16:00, Indiana Harbor was approximately halfway across Lake Superior heading for Two Harbors to load.
Silver Bay, MN – Gary Putney
September 18
The Joyce L. VanEnkevort/Great Lakes Trader departed Silver Bay at 19:52 for Toledo.
September 20
James R. Barker is at the tip of the Keweenaw heading for Silver Bay, Time was 16:00.
Marquette, MI – Noah H.
A brief lull in traffic at Marquette was disrupted by the arrival of Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader at 07:31 on Sunday. The duo came loaded with stone from Stoneport, so they stayed the rest of Sunday at the dock to both unload and then load ore. Hon. James L. Oberstar and Joseph L. Block are both due soon, each coming from Duluth/Superior after unloading stone.
A bustling couple of days at Marquette continued with the Joseph L. Block arriving at 10:50 on Monday to kick things off. The Block came from the western end of the lake, this time from Duluth/Superior instead of Silver Bay like more recent trips. Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader departed at 14:03 for Cleveland to free up a spot at the docks, which the Hon. James L. Oberstar filled at 18:47. Like the Block, the Oberstar also came from the Twin Ports following a stone unload. Both ships would leave for their respective destinations on Tuesday: the Block for Burns Harbor at 03:41, and the Oberstar for Detroit at 21:31. Future traffic will include the American Spirit and Lee A. Tregurtha.
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Joshua Hebeisen
Mighty Wilfred Sykes arrived Bay Shipbuilding at 03:59, tying up along the berthing wall perpendicular to and nearly nose-to-nose with the laid-up Cason J. Callaway. A series of floating platforms was fixed to the 1949-built steamer’s raised stern for what appeared to be repairs to her propeller. The Sykes departed at 21:36 to continue on her merry way to Drummond Island, MI.
Milwaukee, WI – John Vogel
Both Alpena and Algoma Intrepid were in port on the morning of Monday, September 18.
Holland, MI – Noah H.
The Great Republic became the first visiting laker at Holland since, well, the Great Republic with her 08:56 arrival. The previous visit came on September 10. She brought Port Inland stone to unload at Verplank, which took roughly 11 hours to complete. The floating pyramid was on her way back to Port Inland by 17:57.
Muskegon, MI – Noah H.
It was a weekend of cruise ships, but not lakers at Muskegon. Saturday saw the arrival of the Ocean Navigator at 06:07, her first visit since June. Later that night she would head down to Chicago with a 19:16 departure. That aforementioned June arrival was the second in two weeks, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that the Navigator is currently on her way back up after apparently swapping out passengers in Chicago. Speaking of cruise vessels making visits in bunches, Le Dumont d’Urville arrived at 07:40 on Sunday for her second trip of the season, the first coming two weeks ago. She followed a similar schedule as the Navigator on Saturday, and was outbound for Milwaukee by 20:07.
The cruise ships continued to come in bunches to begin the new week. Ocean Navigator paid a visit on Monday with a 06:34 morning arrival and 18:20 departure, while larger vessel Le Dumont d’Urville came in on Tuesday with passage times of 07:14 and 16:46. Both ships had previously arrived within the past week, continuing the trend of having clusters of visits in a singular month. In more traditional traffic, steamer Alpena also arrived on Tuesday at 07:01 in an apparent attempt to draw passengers on the d’Urville away from the city to watch her at the Holcim dock. Unfortunately, the d’Urville was gone for Mackinac Island before the Alpena made her way back to her namesake port at 19:28.
Manistee, MI – Filer City, MI – Chris Franckowiak
Calumet made her first visit to Manistee this year to deliver road salt from Detroit, MI to the Rieth-Riley dock on September 17. This was the first ship other than the Manitowoc to visit Manistee since May 12 and Calumet’s first visit since November 2022. Manitowoc is the next vessel expected to arrive, around October 1st.
Monroe, MI – Bill Kloss
September 17
Karen Andrie/Endeavor is at the Port dock.
September 18
Karen Andrie/Endeavor departed for Indiana Harbor.
Toledo, OH – Bill Kloss
September 17
At port are Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader at Ironville, American Spirit at Torco, Algoma Conveyor, Albert/Margaret, and Saginaw.
September 18
Departing were Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader to Calcite and American Spirit to Marquette. Still in port are Algoma Conveyor, Albert/Margaret, and Saginaw. Arriving were Herbert C. Jackson going to Midwest Terminals, Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger to St. Marys, and Robert S. Pierson.
September 19
Still in port are Saginaw at CSX and Herbert C. Jackson at Midwest Terminals. Departing were Albert/Margaret to Cheboygan, Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger to Cleveland, Robert S. Pierson to an upper lake port, and Algoma Conveyor to Goderich.
September 20
Departures were Saginaw to Sault Ste. Marie and Herbert C. Jackson to Burns Harbor.
Marblehead, OH – Bill Kloss
September 19
John J. Boland arrived to load limestone at Holcim.
September 20
John J. Boland left for Marysville.
Sandusky, OH – Bill Kloss
September 17
CSL Niagara left with no updated destination on AIS. H. Lee White arrived from Erie to load coal at Norfolk Southern.
September 18
H. Lee White loaded coal and left for Detroit. Lee A. Tregurtha was next to arrive at Norfolk Southern for coal.
September 19
Lee A. Tregurtha loaded coal and left for Zug Island.
Cleveland, OH – Bill Kloss
September 17
Mesabi Miner arrived with UTAC pellets for the Bulk Terminal. American Courage is still running shuttles.
September 18
American Courage is on the shuttles.
September 19
Arriving Tuesday morning were Algoma Buffalo to Cargill for a load of road salt and cruise ship Ocean Voyager going to the passenger berth at the Port docks. Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger was a late evening arrival as the tug and barge headed to the St. Marys Columbus St. terminal. American Courage is running another shuttle for Cliffs. After her passengers toured the sights in Cleveland, Ocean Voyager departed for Port Colborne.
September 20
Arriving in the morning was the tug and barge Petite Forte/St. Marys Cement, escorted by G tug Ohio to the St. Marys Jefferson St. terminal. Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader docked at the Bulk Terminal with 35,000 tons of pellets to unload. Departing was Algoma Buffalo with salt to Thorold, ON, and Prentiss Brown/St. Marys Challenger to Charlevoix, MI. Calumet arrived to unload stone at Osborne to the Fairport Harbor line. American Courage is doing another shuttle.
Grand River, OH – Fairport Harbor, OH – Bill Kloss
September 19
CSL Tadoussac arrived to load at Morton Salt.
September 20
CSL Tadoussac departed with salt for Bowmanville once loaded.
Ashtabula, OH – Bill Kloss
September 19
Once again, Cuyahoga has activated her AIS. Maybe a sign of things to come?
September 20
Oakglen is unloading at the Pinney Dock.
Conneaut, OH – Bill Kloss
September 17
Indiana Harbor left for Two Harbors once empty.
September 20
Edgar B. Speer arrived with ore for the P&C Dock.
Erie, PA – Bill Kloss
H. Lee White departed for Sandusky once empty on September 17, and Herbert C. Jackson then went to Carmeuse to unload stone. The Interlake freighter left for Toledo after unloading.
Buffalo, NY – Lackawanna, NY – Tonawanda, NY – Brian Wroblewski
The New York/DS 509A took a slow ride to Buffalo from Detroit along the North shore of Lake Erie to use the lee of the land to their advantage on the night of September 17. They were cruising along in the notch of their barge at a leisurely 6 knots to time their arrival here just right for the opening of the Black Rock Lock on the morning of the 18th.
As the New York came abeam of CIP 16 (the entrance to the Welland Canal) the NACC Alicudi popped out of Port Colborne and pulled ahead of them towards Buffalo. At about 06:30, the Alicudi met the Vermont at the North Entrance, winded in the Outer Harbor, and was towed up to Holcim stern first. A half-hour later, the New York came in behind them and took her asphalt barge down the Black Rock Canal. They made it to Suite Kote around 09:00 and began unloading. Around 11:00, the John J. Boland arrived off Buffalo and went to anchorage South of the Safe Water Beacon. With the American Mariner still unloading at the Frontier Elevator, there wasn’t enough room in the City Ship Canal for the Boland to squeeze up past her there for the CSI sand wharf. Around 14:45, the Mariner wrapped up at General Mills and backed down to the Outer Harbor. She winded with the thrusters and departed via the North Entrance. Out in the open lake, she came up on the now inbound John J. Boland and the two sister ships met “on the one whistle”. The Boland came in without tugs and made her way up to CSI without tugs to begin unloading.
Sand unloading operations were complete by 02:00 on the 19th, so the Boland backed herself out to the lake without tugs. She winded in the Outer Harbor off the lighthouse and headed through the North Entrance for Marblehead, OH. Around 06:00, the Vermont came down to Ohio St. and assisted the NACC Alicudi out to the Watson Basin. After they dropped the tow line, the tug then headed North to go help the New York/DS 509A out from Suite Kote. The Vermont met them at the Lower Guide Wall of the Black Rock Lock and escorted them out to the lake at 08:45.
Nanticoke, ON – Bill Kloss
September 17
Algotitan departed for Sarnia. Algonova and Algosea are at Imperial Oil, and Birgit Knutsen is at anchor. Radcliffe R. Latimer is at Stelco.
September 18
Departing were Algosea to Sorel-Tracy and Radcliffe R. Latimer to Clarkson. Algonova and Birgit Knutsen are loading at Imperial Oil.
September 19
Algonova and Birgit Knutsen are at Imperial Oil while Algoma Mariner and Presque Isle are at Stelco.
September 20
Departing were Algonova to Sarnia, Presque Isle to Two Harbors, and Algoma Mariner to Port Daniel, PQ. Birgit Knutsen is still at Imperial Oil. Atlantic Huron unloaded ore at Stelco and then left for Superior, WI.
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.