Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Thursday, March 26, 2015

ROGER BLOUGH Departs; Port of Erie wins Seaway 2014 Pacesetter Award

ROGER BLOUGH departed Erie on Friday with icebreaking assistance from NEAH BAY. SAMUEL RISLEY stood by outside of the harbor with intention of escorting the ship up the lake, but was called away. BLOUGH spent two days off of Erie in the ice before getting underway Sunday for Two Harbors, MN, with assistance from SAMUEL RISLEY. The ship followed fleetmate EDWIN H. GOTT up the St. Mary's River and yesterday and was the second vessel to transit the Soo Locks.

Among work performed on the BLOUGH this winter was the rebuilding of the ship's starboard engine.

PRESQUE ISLE and THUNDER BAY should be leaving within the next week or so.

The Erie Western Pennsylvania Port Authority was recently awarded a Pacesetter award by the St. Lawrence Seaway for it's cargo movement in 2014, including the movement of locomotives and transformers through the port.

NEAH BAY turns for the channel while an ice fisherman scrambles to get out of the way. The fisherman was fishing right in the middle of the channel until the time this photograph was taken.


NEAH BAY inbound.


Passing the lighthouse.


Stern view.


A short time later, after breaking ice in the harbor, NEAH BAY heads out.


Side view.


Stern view.


RISLEY heads in toward the channel. The big Canadian breaker only came as far as the lighthouse.


Turning to port.


Turning to starboard.


Port-side view.


Meanwhile, the lone ice fisherman is still out in the harbor.


RISLEY turns around.


Stopped in the channel.


RISLEY waits patiently for ROGER BLOUGH.


Tug PRESQUE ISLE has been reconnected to the barge.


ROGER BLOUGH comes around.


Turning for the channel.


BLOUGH lines up for the channel.


Another view of the big laker.


BLOUGH passes the PRESQUE ISLE. The last time BLOUGH spent the winter in Erie, she departed under tow for Conneaut to spend most of the 2009 season in layup.


Close up.


A wave from on deck.


Stern view.


Outbound.


Next stop: Two Harbors, Minnesota to load iron ore. BLOUGH is to be the second ship upbound through the Soo Locks, following fleetmate EDWIN H. GOTT.

Friday, March 20, 2015

BLOUGH Departure Update

ROGER BLOUGH is tentatively scheduled to depart between 1600 and 1700 today.

BLOUGH Sailing Cancelled

ROGER BLOUGH's scheduled departure Thursday was cancelled due to ice conditions; the ship may sail Friday or later in the weekend.

I will update when I learn more.

Monday, March 16, 2015

DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER, Assisted by RISLEY, Depart Layup

SAMUEL RISLEY began icebreaking in Erie harbor on Saturday morning at 0700, and arrived in Presque Isle Bay by 0900 to break out the DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER in front of a large crowd of on-lookers. DOROTHY ANN entered the drydock at around 0930, and emerged at around 1100 with the newly-painted barge PATHFINDER. The duo departed under escort of SAMUEL RISLEY and USCGC NEAH BAY bound for Cleveland. On Saturday the duo got as far as Conneaut before stopping for the night in the ice. Sunday icebreaking operations began at dawn and by nightfall the trio had arrived at Cleveland piers.

U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards have an agreement in place to work in each other's harbors breaking ice where necessary, for those asking why a Canadian icebreaker did this work, instead of an American. It's a common practice and this icebreaking work here cost the Canadian taxpayers money, with no cost to the U.S. taxpayer. As RISLEY was the most powerful breaker nearby, RISLEY was tasked for the work.

DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER will spend the first several weeks of her season shuttling ore up the Cuyahoga River to the ArcelorMittal steel mill.

ROGER BLOUGH should depart Thursday, with PRESQUE ISLE following on Friday.

SAMUEL RISLEY inbound on Saturday morning.


Passing the lighthouse and entering the mostly ice-free channel.


Stern view.


Breaking ice in the harbor.


Another view.


Turning.


SAMUEL RISLEY is the most powerful Canadian icebreaker on the Great Lakes.


DOROTHY ANN backs away from the north face of Donjon.


Another view of the big articulated tug.


Approaching the drydock.


Entering the notch of the PATHFINDER.


RISLEY heads out of the harbor. RISLEY would meet up with the DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER outside of the harbor.


Another view.


DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER begin backing out of drydock.


In the channel.


Another view.


Stern view.


Outbound.


Next stop: Cleveland to load iron ore.

Friday, March 13, 2015

RISLEY Stops

SAMUEL RISLEY is stuck in the ice three nautical miles west of Erie and will remain there for the night. Icebreaking operations will begin around 0700 Saturday morning.

RISLEY Update

SAMUEL RISLEY is off of Beach 8 at this time.

RISLEY Update

SAMUEL RISLEY should arrive between 1300 and 1400 today.

RISLEY Delayed

SAMUEL RISLEY has been delayed and will arrive around noon today.

RISLEY Stopped

SAMUEL RISLEY is currently stopped in the ice offshore of Ashtabula, and about 35 miles from Erie harbor. At this time, icebreaking is still scheduled to begin at 0700 Friday morning.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

RISLEY Due at 0700

SAMUEL RISLEY will begin icebreaking in Erie at around 0700 on Friday morning. This will be RISLEY's first visit to Erie since January, 1996, when the big Canadian icebreaker escorted Algoma's SAUNIERE into Erie to unload a cargo of salt.

SAMUEL RISLEY DUE

After about ten days of delay, SAMUEL RISLEY is expected to arrive in Erie on Friday morning for icebreaking ahead of the departure of DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER, which is expected this weekend.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Monday, March 2, 2015

Icebreaker Delayed

The icebreaker due today has been delayed and will be arriving in Erie later this week to open the harbor for DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER's departure.