J.S. St. JOHN Being Repainted; Updated FEDERAL POWER ETA, FEDERAL MATANE Also Due

Lakeshore Towing's tug DON HENRY this morning delivered Lakeshore's barge 502 to the Old Ore Dock, where the barge was used as a staging area to allow crews from Erie Sand & Gravel to repaint the J.S. St. JOHN. St. JOHN is being painted gray, a change from the Erie Sand green that she has worn.

It's not clear yet as to whether this is a new paint job or just a primer for repainting the vessel gray, but if this is the St. JOHN's new paint scheme, it means the end of a long tradition of Erie Sand's green hulls on the Great Lakes.

FEDERAL POWER is currently loading in Antwerp, Belgium and is expected in Erie on June 30.

Meanwhile, FEDERAL MATANE is scheduled to arrive in Bremen, Germany to load on July 15, and after stopping in Hamilton, Ontario will arrive in Erie on August 10. Both dates are subject to change. These are the first Fednav ships to visit Erie since 2007.

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J.S. St. JOHN at dock this afternoon.


Another view.


FEDERAL MATANE in the Welland Canal on November 2, 2008.


BBC RUSSIA in the Welland Canal on August 27, 2005. This is roughly what the FEDERAL POWER looks like.