NORDIC STOCKHOLM Arrives

The 2007-built, Norwegian-registered chemical tanker NORDIC STOCKHOLM arrived in Erie this morning at 0730 to load biodiesel. This is the load that CLIPPER LOYALTY was supposed to take out of port last week.

The NORDIC STOCKHOLM arrived in ballast from Mississauga, Ontario, easily breaking through ice in the channel, and docked port-side to, with the bow of the vessel facing into Erie harbor, at the Mountfort Terminal. This is the first time a biodiesel tanker has loaded while facing inbound.

When NORDIC STOCKHOLM departs, likely sometime tomorrow, the vessel will be bound for Sarnia, Ontario to load before heading overseas.

Five locomotives from GE now sit on the south track at the Mountfort Terminal awaiting shipment.

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NORDIC STOCKHOLM inbound in the snow on Thursday morning.


Another view.


The snow eases slightly as the NORDIC STOCKHOLM passes the Coast Guard station.


Close up.


Stern view.


Another view.


In the ice near the Mountfort Terminal.


Docking.


Securing a line onto the Mountfort Terminal.

LOYALTY Departs

CLIPPER LOYALTY departed Erie at 1530 today bound for Hamilton. There the LOYALTY will top off her load of aviation fuel before heading overseas. The vessel did not load in Erie and it is unknown what will become of the biodiesel load the vessel was supposed to take from the port.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

CLIPPER LOYALTY DEPARTS; USCG, LAKESHORE TOWING PARTICIPATE IN WATER RESCUE OFF ERIE

Lakeshore Towing's towboats ENDURANCE and TITAN pulled the oil-containment boom from around the CLIPPER LOYALTY at 0830 this morning, and the LOYALTY departed the Mountfort Terminal and Erie at 1030 bound for Quebec City. In addition to the biodiesel taken aboard at Erie, the LOYALTY is loaded with a partial cargo of nonene from Sarnia, Ontario.

At 0915 this morning, a 26-foot Bayliner called Coast Guard Station Erie and reported that they had picked up a swimmer in the water a mile off of Gull Point. At the time, waves on Lake Erie were reported to be cresting at five to seven feet, with an occasional eight foot wave. The swimmer reported that his 20-foot ski boat had capsized and the three other people aboard the vessel were clinging to the overturned wreckage. The four had launched from East Avenue and were out for a day of fishing on a lake not suited for fishing.

Station Erie launched a major search effort with both of the station's vessels, 47241 and 25573, along with Lakeshore Towing's towboat ENDURANCE, that lasted for almost an hour before the two Coast Guard vessels rescued the other three, alive but tired and suffering from various injuries, and transfered them to waiting EMS at Beach 11. Two of the four persons were wearing personal floatation devices, and the other two were not. Two were treated for mild hypothermia, one of the vessel's occupants was treated for diabetic shock, and at least one needed stitches after being hit in the face when a wave knocked the vessel's bimini top off and hit him in the face.

Lakeshore Towing's ENDURANCE took the vessel in tow to Lampe Marina, where it was righted and pumped out before being returned to East Avenue.

This is the third salvage job Lakeshore has performed in the past two weeks. On Monday, July 27 the company's tug DON HENRY, stationed in Conneaut to perform dredging work, put a fire out on a boat that had exploded and injured two people. Yesterday, DON HENRY and barge 401 were pressed into service to salvage a 23-foot Lund fishing boat that ran up onto the Conneaut breakwall while on autopilot, injuring five occupants of the vessel. The excavator on barge 401 was fitted with slings and the vessel was lifted off and carried to the boat launch in Conneaut harbor.

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Towboat TITAN departs after assisting in removing the oil-containment boom around the CLIPPER LOYALTY.


Towboat ENDURANCE exits the channel at a high rate of speed to begin searching for the capsized vessel.


CLIPPER LOYALTY departs the Mountfort Terminal.


Lining up for the channel.


CLIPPER LOYALTY in the channel.


Stern view.


Another view.


Passing 47241. Note the group of onlookers watching the EMS on Beach 11.


25573 returning to Station Erie.

LOYALTY to Depart Sunday

CLIPPER LOYALTY has continued to load biodiesel throughout the day today and loading is scheduled to continue through the night. If all goes well the vessel will be departing sometime around 0700 on Sunday.

MANITOWOC, CLIPPER LOYALTY in Port

MANITOWOC arrived in port at 0300 today with stone from Cedarville and docked at the Old Ore Dock to unload. After unloading through the early morning hours, the vessel departed at 0900 bound for Sandusky to load coal and should be arriving in Sandusky at this time. As a reflection of a lousy economy, Erie has received only nine loads of stone in 2009, compared to 22 at this point in 2008.

The Bahamian-flagged CLIPPER LOYALTY arrived in port from Sarnia at 1600 today, turned in the harbor and docked at the Mountfort Terminal. Crews from Lakeshore Towing Services placed an oil containment boom around the vessel and biodiesel loading commenced at around 1900. This is the first load of biodiesel shipped from Lake Erie Biofuels this season.

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MANITOWOC unloading this morning.


Leaving the dock.


Backing away.


Outbound.


Stern view.


CLIPPER LOYALTY inbound this afternoon.


Another view.


Close up.


Stern view.


LOYALTY turning in Presque Isle Bay.


Turn nearly complete, LOYALTY prepares to dock at the Mountfort Terminal.

MANITOWOC, CLIPPER LOYALTY DUE

MANITOWOC, with stone from Cedarville, is due in Erie tomorrow at 0250. CLIPPER LOYALTY, ballast from Sarnia to load biodiesel, is due in Erie tomorrow at 1600.

FIRST LOAD OF BIODIESEL TO BE SHIPPED

The first load of biodiesel to be shipped from the port of Erie in 2009 is scheduled to depart next week aboard the tanker CLIPPER LOYALTY. I will update when I learn more.