BOOTHE/CONTENDER DUE

KEN BOOTHE SR./LAKES CONTENDER, laden with stone from Cedarville, make their first trip back to Erie tomorrow when they arrive at 1930.

SAGINAW Visits; CHEYENNE in Port

SAGINAW arrived in Erie this morning at 0830 with sand from Thessalon, Ontario for beach replenishment. This is SAGINAW's first trip to Erie since April 12, 2004.

SAGINAW unloaded the third load of sand for beach replenishment throughout the morning and early afternoon before departing at 1500 bound for Toledo to load coal.

Tug CHEYENNE and Erie-built barge WITTE 1402 arrived in Erie today and moored at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair. The tug/barge unit is on its way back from delivering cargo to Fairport Harbor, Ohio and are here to pick up the barge WITTE 1407. WITTE 1407 will be taken to New York. I will update with more on CHEYENNE's departure as I learn more.

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SAGINAW backing into Erie harbor.


Lowering the workboat to put deckhands ashore.


Swinging the boom out.


Unloading in the early afternoon.


Stern view of the classic laker. The last time SAGINAW was in Erie, the vessel was a steamship; SAGINAW has since been repowered.


J.S. St JOHN inbound.


Close up


Stern view.


Departing at 1500.


SAGINAW in the channel at Buoys 3 & 4.


Outbound.


Headed up the lake.


Course change - heading up the lake.


SAGINAW picks up speed.


SAGINAW's classic bow.


Stern view, departing for Toledo.


CHEYENNE at dock with WITTE 1402.


A puff of smoke from CHEYENNE's stack. Note J.S. St. JOHN turning in the background to head outbound


CHEYENNE pushing on the barge WITTE 1402.

SAGINAW Update

SAGINAW is currently due in Erie at 0815.

SAGINAW Due

Lower Lakes Towing's SAGINAW, laden with sand from Thessalon, is expected in Erie at 1130 tomorrow morning. This is SAGINAW's first visit to the port since 2004.

JOSEPH H. THOMPSON/JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR. Depart

JOSEPH H. THOMPSON/JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR. departed drydock at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair at 1215 this afternoon, turned in the harbor and docked at the West Slip to undergo final Coast Guard inspection. The duo departed the yard at 1500 today, in ballast for Stoneport, Michigan.

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Lakeshore Towing's tug DON HENRY and barge 502 inbound Erie this afternoon.


Stern view.


J.S. St. JOHN inbound.


Stern view.


THOMPSON backing away from Donjon at 1450 this afternoon.


Another view.


Turning.


Outbound.


Close up.


Stern view.


Outbound.

THOMPSON To Float

JOSEPH H. THOMPSON/JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR. will be floated from drydock at Donjon sometime around noon tomorrow.

MANITOWOC in Port

MANITOWOC departed this morning at 0700. The vessel had unloaded part of its cargo at the Mountfort Terminal before shifting to the Old Ore Dock to finish.

JOSEPH H. THOMPSON/JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR. will be removed from drydock on Thursday. Due to an adjustment to the propeller pitch, the vessel may undergo a day of sea trials before departing.

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MANITOWOC departing Erie this morning.


Stern view.

MANITOWOC Inbound

MANISTEE, after a delay of about eight hours due to broken linkage between the reduction gear and drive shaft of the starboard unloading belt, has cleared Erie for Ashtabula. MANISTEE will go to anchor and await the departure of Rt. HON. PAUL J. MARTIN from the Norfolk Southern Coal Dock there, and should get a dock at around 1100 Sunday morning.

MANITOWOC is currently inbound for the Mountfort Terminal and should be outbound sometime tomorrow morning.

MANISTEE Departing; MANITOWOC, MISSISSAGI Arriving

MANISTEE is currently preparing to depart the Mountfort Terminal outbound for the lake. MISSISSAGI has docked at the North Pier and will be in port until around 0300. MANITOWOC will be unloading one compartment at the Mountfort Terminal before shifting to the Old Ore Dock, and should be outbound shortly after daylight.

MANISTEE REMAINS IN PORT; MISSISSAGI, MANITOWOC DUE

MANISTEE remains in port at the Mountfort Terminal but is currently not unloading. The vessel has several more hours of her unload remaining. Deckhands from the vessel were taking advantage of the downtime this afternoon to stand on the Mountfort Terminal and touch up the paint on the starboard side of the MANISTEE.

MISSISSAGI, with sand from Thessalon, is expected in Erie at around 2200. MANITOWOC, with stone from Calcite, is expected at 0030 Sunday morning. Depending on what time MANISTEE departs, it's possible that three vessels from the combined Lower Lakes Towing/Grand River Navigation fleet could be in Erie at one time tonight.

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MANISTEE at dock with the boom out, but not unloading, shortly after noon today.


Another view.

MANISTEE in Port

MANISTEE is currently in port at the Mountfort Terminal to unload salt from Fairport Harbor.

MANITOWOC DUE; MISSISSAGI Update

MANITOWOC, with stone from Calcite, is expected in Erie at 0200 tonight.

MISSISSAGI is due at 2230.

MISSISSAGI DUE

MISSISSAGI, with sand from Thessalon for beach replenishment, is due in Erie at 2130 Saturday night.

R/V MUSKY II Stops in Port

U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center's research vessel MUSKY II, based out of Sandusky, spent several days at Wolverine Marina earlier this week. MUSKY II is on a fishing research cruise of Lake Erie; this cruise is one of the last MUSKY II will make for the USGS. MUSKY II and her fleetmate KAHO, both of which date from the 1960s, were supposed to be replaced with the MUSKIE and KAHO, launched last year at Great Lakes Shipyard in Cleveland.

MUSKIE and KAHO were supposed to replace the older vessels last September or October; however, numerous problems with Great Lakes Shipyard's workmanship has kept each $4 million vessel at Great Lakes Shipyard for repairs since that time. Hopefully MUSKIE will make her debut on Lake Erie sometime this summer, and perhaps will be seen in Erie later this season.

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MUSKY II in Presque Isle Bay on Wednesday.


MUSKIE, replacement for MUSKY II (MUSKY II is a mis-spelling of the word "Muskie" that was never corrected) departing Cleveland under the NS 1 railroad bridge for sea trials on August 30, 2011. Photo taken on the Great Lakes Towing tug ILLINOIS.


Stern view of the MUSKIE.

JOSEPH H. THOMPSON/JR. ARRIVE FOR DRYDOCKING

JOSEPH H. THOMPSON/JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR. arrived in Erie this morning at 0630 for drydocking at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair. The duo turned in Presque Isle Bay, and after pumping ballast water, entered the drydock stern first beginning at 0800 this morning. By 1000 the tug and barge were in drydock. The duo is in for its five-year survey and should be in drydock for a couple of weeks.

THOMPSON's last five-year survey was done six years ago at Erie Shipbuilding; the survey coincided with a major repowering and other work on the THOMPSON JR., which included widening the tug's pilothouse by six feet.

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THOMPSON inbound this morning.


Another view.


JOSEPH H. THOMPSON JR. provides the power for the barge.


Stern view.


Headed into Presque Isle Bay.