FAIRLOAD Unloads, Departs

FAIRLOAD spent today unloading electrical machinery at the Mountfort Terminal before departing at 1930 today. The FAIRLOAD departed for Montreal to bunker before eventually departing North America bound for Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

MORE BIODIESEL TO BE SHIPPED; SAND LOAD DUE

More biodiesel will be shipped through the port of Erie next month, with the next vessel due around June 4. PANAM FLOTA is due in Montreal on Wednesday and will be stopping for fuel there before heading to Rotterdam.

Meanwhile, the first load of sand for the beach replenishment will be arriving on Wednesday from Thessalon, Ontario aboard either the CUYAHOGA or MISSISSAGI. Both vessels are due to load in Thessalon, due today and tomorrow, respectively, and I'm not sure which will be loading for Erie at this time.

I will update tomorrow when I learn more.

Also, as a side note, much is being made in the local of gas prices on the water being more expensive than on land. Although this is the case with Port Authority-owned marinas, the fuel dock at the marina at Presque Isle is currently selling 89-octane gas for $3.879 per gallon, compared to $3.959 at most stations in tow and $4.349 at Port Authority-owned marinas.

PANAM FLOTA UPDATE

PANAM FLOTA is currently unloading in Montreal and should be departing later this evening or in the early morning hours on Tuesday. With minimal delays for traffic in the St. Lawrence Seaway, the FLOTA should arrive in Erie during daylight hours on Thursday to load biodiesel.

STELLANOVA Departs

STELLANOVA departed Erie at 1520 Wednesday bound for Montreal and eventually for Albany, New York.

Lakeshore Towing crews are working on wrapping up dredging at the Chestnut Street boat ramp and are next bound for East Avenue.

FIRST LOAD OF BIODIESEL DEPARTS

CLIPPER TOBAGO cleared Erie at 0200 Thursday with 5,000 metric tons of biodiesel from Lake Erie Biofuels, bound for Europe. At 0030 hours Lakeshore Towing removed the oil boom around the tanker and the vessel was ready to leave the Mountfort Terminal at 0145. The CLIPPER TOBAGO will reach the call-in point at Long Point at 0340 and will reach the Welland Canal at 0610 hours this morning, bound for Montreal before continuing on to Europe with this load of biodiesel.

DAVIKEN Arrives

The first overseas visitor of the 2007 shipping season arrived on Monday afternoon when the DAVIKEN, arriving from Antwerp, Belgium via Montreal, entered the channel at Erie. Low visibility and constant rain greeted the vessel's crew as DAVIKEN docked at the Mountfort Terminal.

As the crew threw lines over to the longshoremen waiting on the dock, the crew gathered at DAVIKEN's stern experienced some difficulty, as they required five tries to successfully land a line on the dock. The crew on the bow landed the line on the first try.

Unloading will begin on the vessel when crews report to work at 0700 on Tuesday, and the DAVIKEN should depart later in the day on Tuesday for Windsor, Ontario.

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DAVIKEN inbound.


In the channel.


Close up.


Stern view.


Turning to dock at the Mountfort Terminal.


DAVIKEN docks.

Gales of November delay WOLVERINE; DAVIKEN Update

WOLVERINE has not yet arrived in Erie, and a rough Lake Erie is the cause of the delay. The vessel has no ETA as of this time due to weather.

DAVIKEN is approximately 215 nautical miles from Montreal and should arrive there sometime late tonight to unload before heading to Erie.