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.