The last of the six deck barges under construction by the company is to be completed and will be moved from drydock sometime this week. According to Erie Shipbuilding CEO Ned Smith the company has signed a contract for another two deck barges and is negotiating to sign another contrack for an additional two deck barges.
As far as work for this winter, as I have reported already this month, three vessels are expected in port. One, the tug-barge unit KAREN ANDRIE/A-397, is already in port. The PRESQUE ISLE is due in Erie for the Mountfort Terminal on the morning of January 17, and the CASON J. CALLAWAY will follow her that afternoon to the Old Ore Dock. It's also possible that another vessel may winter here, but if that happens it will likely be a Canadian vessel that arrives late this month or in February after running late shuttling coal or salt on the Great Lakes.
Along with Erie Shipbuilding, Great Lakes Electrical Services, O-N Minerals and Lakeshore Towing will be completing work on the vessels this winter. Great Lakes Electrical and O-N Minerals will be working on all of the vessels; Lakeshore Towing will perform any towing work needing completed for any of the vessels in layup. Lakeshore Towing will this week tow the cofferdam built for the PRESQUE ISLE from Erie Shipbuilding to the Mountfort Terminal, and later this winter divers from Lakeshore will sink the cofferdam to install it under the starboard side of the PRESQUE ISLE. Lakeshore's divers will complete any underwater work needing done on the layup fleet as well.
The winter of 2007-08 is looking to be extremely busy in Erie harbor. Keep watching as I will continue to report on the happenings around the harbor.
GREAT LAKES TRADER, which would be a sister to the new barge ESB is in negotiations to build, is shown outbound Erie on January 26, 2007.
JOYCE L. VANENKEVORT is shown pushing the TRADER, January 26, 2007.
Underneath the port propellor of the PRESQUE ISLE, March 12, 2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment