Tuesday, November 30, 2010

CLIPPER LOYALTY Video

Below is video of the CLIPPER LOYALTY as it slowly makes its way into Erie on Sunday.

I will update if I hear of a departure time for the LOYALTY. Check back to the Erie Shipping News for updates.



CLIPPER LOYALTY Remains

As of today, CLIPPER LOYALTY remains in port. Two things - lack of pilots and bad weather - are to blame for the delay in leaving. It is unknown at this time when the LOYALTY will get underway.

It is also unknown at this time what will become of the biodiesel shipment the CLIPPER LOYALTY was to load. Whether or not another tanker comes for that or the shipment is sent via rail to the east coast and loaded at a port there remains to be seen.

Monday, November 29, 2010

CLIPPER LOYALTY TO LEAVE WITHOUT LOADING

At this time a crew from Lakeshore Towing is removing the oil-containment boom around the CLIPPER LOYALTY. The LOYALTY will be departing at around 1700 today without loading biodiesel, due to shoaling in Erie harbor.

It is unknown at this time if or when another tanker may be coming to take this load out of the port.




CLIPPER LOYALTY at dock this morning.


Another view.


As the sun sets at around 1630 this afternoon.


Another view as the day disappears.

CLIPPER LOYALTY in port, but not loading

Lakeshore Towing Services put the oil-containment boom around the CLIPPER LOYALTY as the vessel was tying up at 1700 last night; however, as of this morning loading has still not begun on the tanker, which is in port to load a partial cargo of biodiesel.

The LOYALTY came in slowly last night due to a shoal that has formed near Buoys 3 & 4 in the channel which reduces depth to between 23 and 24 feet. CLIPPER LOYALTY was drawing nearly 23 feet of water as it entered the harbor last night and needed to be careful around the shoal, particularly since water levels are low at the present time.

What this means, however, is that the LOYALTY, which came from Hamilton, Ontario rather than simply head out the St. Lawrence Seaway after loading there, may end up departing without loading any biodiesel, or with only part of the cargo of biodiesel that it came to load. Since the cargo it was to load is small, it is likely that the vessel will depart without loading any and another tanker may end up loading this cargo in the near future.

CLIPPER LOYALTY has a pilot called for a 1700 departure this afternoon, but the vessel may depart later than that depending on whether or not the ship does load any biodiesel. That decision has not yet been made.

Erie Harbor has not been dredged in that area since 1998 and will apparently be due for dredging soon, as the LOYALTY is not the first vessel to be affected by this shoaling. MISSISSAGI was affected by the shoaling earlier this season when it delivered sand to the North Pier; in fact, MISSISSAGI temporarily touched bottom there.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

CLIPPER LOYALTY Arrives

CLIPPER LOYALTY spent about six and one-half hours this morning anchored off of Port Colborne, Ontario awaiting a lake pilot and finally got underway at 1120 hours this morning. LOYALTY arrived off of Erie at 1530 and slowly proceeded through the channel before turning in the harbor and docking at the Mountfort Terminal at 1630. Biodiesel loading was to begin sometime this evening.

LOYALTY arrived in port drawing about 7 meters (23 feet) of water. The vessel is partially loaded already with jet fuel from Hamilton, Ontario and will probably not be in port very long. The LOYALTY will likely be here 24 hours or less.

This is the CLIPPER LOYALTY's second visit to Erie to load biodiesel (the first was in August 2009) and is the first load of biodiesel to leave the port this season. CLIPPER LOYALTY is the only tanker to have visited Erie twice to load biodiesel.

This is also the first biodiesel tanker to arrive in Erie since November 27, 2009, when HARBOUR CLOUD arrived in ballast.




CLIPPER LOYALTY inbound.


Another view.


Close up.


Close up with Hero BX in the background.


Another view of the LOYALTY.


Crew member on CLIPPER LOYALTY unrolls a chain on the vessel.


Stern view.


Another view.


Silhouetted by the late fall sun.

CLIPPER LOYALTY UNDERWAY

CLIPPER LOYALTY is underway and due at Long Point at 1400 today; the LOYALTY should be arriving in Erie at around 1500.

CLIPPER LOYALTY DELAYED

CLIPPER LOYALTY is currently anchored off of Port Colborne, Ontario awaiting a pilot to take the vessel across Lake Erie and bring it into Erie. As of right now there is no ETA for Erie.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

LOYALTY ETA

CLIPPER LOYALTY is currently upbound in Lock 7 of the Welland Canal. Traffic in the Canal is heavy this evening after two days worth of delay for vessels due to the storm that has moved across the Great Lakes from Thursday through today, and there are several more vessels for the LOYALTY to meet before it clears Lock 8 and heads out onto Lake Erie. The vessel's ETA for Erie, then, should be around 0800 on Sunday.

CLIPPER LOYALTY DUE

CLIPPER LOYALTY is due to arrive in ballast from Hamilton, Ontario sometime early Sunday morning to load biodiesel. This is the first load of biodiesel to go out of the port in almost a year.

I will update with a firmer ETA as I receive it.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

WHITE Arrives

H. LEE WHITE arrived in Erie at 1000 this morning carrying a cargo of stone from Cedarville, Michigan. The vessel docked at the Mountfort Terminal and began unloading at 1115 hours. The WHITE is due to depart in ballast at 1600 today bound for Toledo, Ohio to load coal.




BIG TONY leads the WHITE inbound.


Close up.


Stern view.


WHITE inbound.


Another view.


Stern view.


Swinging a crewman onto the dock.


Ready to unload.


WITTE 1406 and WITTE 1407 back at the West Slip.

I will post video of the WHITE's arrival later today.

WHITE Inbound

H. LEE WHITE will be inbound Erie in approximately one hour going to the Old Ore Dock.

Monday, November 15, 2010

H. LEE WHITE Due

H. LEE WHITE, laden with stone, is expected in Erie tomorrow at around 0900.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Video: MANISTEE Inbound Erie, July 11, 2010

Below is video of MANISTEE inbound Erie to unload salt on July 11. The vessel had loaded in Fairport Harbor, Ohio.




Wednesday, November 10, 2010

In Memoriam: EDMUND FITZGERALD

Thirty-five years ago today, EDMUND FITZGERALD, under command of Captain Ernest McSorley, sank in Lake Superior with all 29 crew members on board. They were:

Armagost Michael E.
Beetcher Fred J.
Bentsen Thomas D.
Bindon Edward F.
Borgeson Thomas D.
Champeau Oliver J.
Church Nolan S.
Cundy Ransom E.
Edwards Thomas E.
Haskell Russell G.
Holl George J.
Hudson Bruce L.
Kalmon Allen G.
MacLellan Gordon F.
Mazes Joseph W.
McCarthy John H.
McSorley Ernest M.
O'Brien Eugene W.
Peckol Karl A.
Poviach John J.
Pratt James A.
Rafferty Robert C.
Riippa Paul M.
Simmons John D.
Spengler William J.
Thomas Mark A.
Walton Ralph G.
Weiss David E.
Wilhelm Blaine H.

More information and photos of the FITZGERALD can be found online at the Detroit Free Press and the S.S. EDMUND FITZGERALD Online.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

OHIO Returns Barges; Departs

Great Lakes Towing's tug OHIO arrived in Erie at 1030 today towing the barges WITTE 1406 and WITTE 1407, which are returning from their charter to Alcoa and work in Cleveland.

OHIO docked both barges at the Mountfort Terminal in a strong north wind, and after a short stopover there lip and barges to their home base at the West Slip and departed for Buffalo, where the tug will take the barge CBC 1268, with windmill parts, in tow bound for Menominee, Michigan.

This is the OHIO's first visit to Erie since July 15, 2006, when it arrived to tow the LANSDOWNE to Buffalo. That tow departed the following day.




OHIO, towing the WITTE 1406 and WITTE 1407, inbound this morning.


Another view.


Close up of the 1903-built OHIO.


WITTE 1406.


Stern view as the tow docks.


Stern view of the OHIO.


Docking.

Friday, November 5, 2010

WITTE 1406, WITTE 1407 in Cleveland

WITTE 1406 and WITTE 1407 were towed out of Erie last week by the tug SUPERIOR, bound for Cleveland. There, they met the salt-water vessel TRACER to offload parts for Alcoa, to be shipped up the Cuyahoga River. This is the second part of a shipment of press parts for Alcoa arranged by UTC Overseas, the first of which came into Erie on the FEDERAL POWER earlier this summer.

The barges were moved up the Cuyahoga River earlier this week to unload and should be returned to Erie sometime this weekend by the SUPERIOR. I will update when I learn more about their arrival.