MISSISSAGI, REPUBLIC IN PORT

MISSISSAGI arrived in Erie last night at 2100 during a terrible downpour and ended up anchoring in Presque Isle Bay for about two hours to wait wind before turning in the harbor and docking at the North Pier to unload sand from Thessalon.

The AMERICAN REPUBLIC arrived in Erie at 0300 this morning and docked at the Old Ore Dock with stone from Calcite. The REPUBLIC unloaded there until 0900 and then shifted to the Mountfort Terminal, where she unloaded for about 40 minutes before clearing outbound.

Photos to follow later this evening.

MISSISSAGI, AMERICAN REPUBLIC DUE

MISSISSAGI is due at 2015 tonight with sand from Thessalon. Meanwhile, AMERICAN REPUBLIC, with stone from Calcite, will be arriving at 0300 Saturday morning. The REPUBLIC should depart sometime on Saturday morning after daylight.

MANITOWOC in Port; MISSISSAGI Due

MANITOWOC arrived in port this morning at 0930 on its first visit to the port. The Lower Lakes Transportation-owned vessel docked at the Mountfort Terminal to unload stone from Stoneport, and shifted to the Old Ore Dock at around 1300. Three hours later, MANITOWOC was finished unloading and departed, clearing Erie at 1645 bound for Toledo to load coal.

MISSISSAGI, with sand from Thessalon, is due in Erie at 2015 tomorrow.

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MANITOWOC inbound this morning. This photo, and those below, thanks to Debra Thoreson.


Stern view.


Docking.


Swinging the boom out.


MANITOWOC at the Old Ore Dock later this afternoon.


MANITOWOC outbound this afternoon. Photos below here by Jeff Thoreson.


Another view.


Stern view.


Outbound.


In the channel.


This 13-week-old Golden Retriever yawns after watching the MANITOWOC depart.


Underway in Lake Erie bound for Toledo.

SIDSEL KNUTSEN DEPARTS; MANITOWOC DUE

Lakeshore Towing tug FLATTOP removed the oil containment boom from around the SIDSEL KNUTSEN as the vessel completed loading of biodiesel at the Mountfort Terminal. The KNUTSEN's crew finished preparing for their overseas journey and the SIDSEL KNUTSEN, loaded with 5,000 tons of biodiesel produced at Lake Erie Biofuels and shipped down to the port via rail, departed at 1845.

The KNUTSEN is bound for Rotterdam with this load of biodiesel, the second of many that will move through the port this season.

Meanwhile, the former EARL W. OGLEBAY, which last visited the port of Erie on July 6,2006, is returning to the port tomorrow under the ownership of Lower Lakes Transportation. MANITOWOC is due at 0915 with stone from Stoneport, Michigan.

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SIDSEL KNUTSEN at dock after removal of the oil-containment boom.


Warming up the engines in preparation for departure.


Backing away from the dock.


SIDSEL KNUTSEN turns away from the dock.


Turning.


KNUTSEN in the channel.


Close up.


The writing on the cabin is what is typical of all chemical tankers.


Stern view.


KNUTSEN turns in the channel.


Outbound.


Even at a distance the KNUTSEN, at 167-meters long, appears huge.


Outbound with the Erie Pierhead light in the foreground.

SIDSEL KNUTSEN Set to Depart

SIDSEL KNUTSEN is due to finish loading at around 1500 this afternoon. The oil-containment boom will be removed soon thereafter and the tanker should be departing for Europe during daylight hours today.

SIDSEL KNUTSEN Arrives to Load Biodiesel

SIDSEL KNUTSEN arrived in Erie at 2330 last night, turned in the harbor and docked at the Mountfort Terminal, after which Lakeshore Towing deployed the oil containment boom around the vessel so that it could begin loading. Crews from Carmeuse Lime & Stone and Lake Erie Biofuels began loading the vessel with 5,000 tons of biodiesel at around 0200 this morning.

Loading of the SIDSEL KNUTSEN is expected to take around 40 hours, so if all goes well the tanker could depart for Europe tomorrow evening before sunset.

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KNUTSEN at the Mountfort Terminal.


Another view.


KNUTSEN is scheduled to load 5,000 tons of biodiesel.

SIDSEL KNUTSEN ETA

SIDSEL KNUTSEN is due in Erie at 0100 on Tuesday to load biodiesel. The vessel is coming from Sarnia, Ontario and had been expected this morning, but due to delays at Sarnia the KNUTSEN was delayed.

KNUTSEN Remains in Sarnia

SIDSEL KNUTSEN remains in Sarnia discharging cargo at this time and should be departing later tonight for Erie to load biodiesel.

Another KNUTSEN Update

SIDSEL KNUTSEN arrived in Sarnia this afternoon and will be there for several hours before departing downbound for Erie. When the KNUTSEN arrives in Erie, she will be loading another cargo of biodiesel from Lake Erie Biofuels.

Already several cuts of tank cars are sitting on the Mountfort Terminal awaiting the KNUTSEN's arrival, and many other cars will follow before the ship is done loading.

SIDSEL KNUTSEN Update

Latest ETA for the SIDSEL KNUTSEN is 0600 on Monday, June 9 to load biodiesel. The vessel is coming from Sarnia to load biodiesel produced at Lake Erie Biofuels. The cargo is bound for Rotterdam, Netherlands when loaded.

SIDSEL KNUTSEN Update

SIDSEL KNUTSEN cleared the Welland Canal upbound bound for Sarnia, Ontario. After the vessel finishes discharging her remaining cargo there, the KNUTSEN is bound for Erie to load biodiesel, and should be arriving sometime on Sunday during daylight hours.

Tug KATHY LYNN Update; U.S. BRIG NIAGARA to be used in Documentary

Tug KATHY LYNN and barge CT 150 are in Rochester at the present time, and will remain there to complete dredging work on the Genessee River there. The barge loaded a crane at the Mountfort Terminal last weekend.

On June 11, Ric Burns' Steeplechase Films will be in Erie and use the U.S. Brig NIAGARA as a whaling vessel during filming of a documentary on Native American whaling practices. The gunports on the NIAGARA will be covered, allowing for the the vessel to appear to be similar to a whaling ship of days gone by.

SIDSEL KNUTSEN Update

SIDSEL KNUTSEN is now alongside in Oakville unloading. After unloading part of the cargo there, the KNUTSEN will finish her unload in Sarnia and is currently due in Erie on Sunday at around noon to load biodiesel.

KATHY LYNN Departs

Tug KATHY LYNN and barge CT 150 departed Erie at 0200 bound for Rochester, New York. I'm not sure what they're doing at the moment.

SIDSEL KNUTSEN is upbound for Oakville, Ontario, where the vessel is expected tomorrow to finish unloading. After that, the KNUTSEN is bound for Erie to load biodiesel.

KATHY LYNN, Barge Remain; PILGRIM Scrapping Begins; LADY KATE Under New Ownership

KATHY LYNN and CT 150 remain in port today. The crane was loaded onto the barge today and the duo is moored alongside, parallel to the dock. No word yet on when they will be departing.

As I first reported late last year, the fishing tug PILGRIM, which suffered a sinking in early 2007, is currently being scrapped on Port Authority property just east of Perry's Landing Marina.

LADY KATE, which I reported to be for sale last year, is now owned by Tim Sedney, owner of Rum Runners and one of the principals in the VICTORIAN PRINCESS dinner cruiser that operates on Erie's waterfront. With former owner Tom Macaluso's retirement, the VHF waves around Erie harbor will never be the same.

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KATHY LYNN and barge at dock.


PILGRIM undergoing scrapping.


Another view.


Stern view.


Zebra mussels on the hull.


A pile of scrap on the dock.


Looking onto the stern of the PILGRIM.


Underneath the hull.


The deck of the PILGRIM, covered in holes in the metal.