Thursday, July 29, 2010

SUPERIOR Departure Video; Lakeshore Towing tows BIG TONY, Donjon Update

Below is video of the SUPERIOR departing last Tuesday. I am working on catching up with all of July's videos and hope to have them posted soon.

Lakeshore Towing's tug DON HENRY towed commercial fisherman BIG TONY back to port at 0830 this morning after the vessel's engine broke down.

Work on tug KEN BOOTHE SR., formerly known as CLYDE VANENKEVORT, is coming along nicely at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair. Yesterday, yard employees began cutting off the support legs, and are installing the port side propeller shaft. The tug is rumored to be moved farther out into the drydock sometime during the middle of August.



Monday, July 26, 2010

Tall Ship UNICORN Due

Tall Ship UNICORN, one of the vessels due in September for Tall Ships Erie, the first tall ships event in Erie in seven years, is expected in Erie sometime tomorrow after noontime for a stopover. Also expected is LYNX. They will not be open for tours but will be docked behind the Erie Maritime Museum and can be seen with purchase of a ticket. They will depart Wednesday for Port Colborne.

SUPERIOR, WITTE 1406 Inbound Video

Below is video of the SUPERIOR and WITTE 1406 inbound Erie last Thursday morning.



Friday, July 23, 2010

Thursday, July 22, 2010

SUPERIOR Returns WITTE 1406; St. JOHN Develops Engine Problems

Sunrise on a beautiful Thursday found the tug SUPERIOR towing the barge WITTE 1406 through the channel and back into Presque Isle Bay. SUPERIOR took the barge alongside once in Presque Isle Bay and docked the 1406 back at the West Slip, ahead of barge WITTE 1407.

SUPERIOR then moved over to Dobbin's Landing before departing for Cleveland at 0850.

The SUPERIOR's departure was delayed a few minutes due to the J.S. St. JOHN's return to port at dead slow speed. St. JOHN was reportedly experiencing engine problems and returned to the Old Ore Dock for work.




SUPERIOR alongside WITTE 1406 in Presque Isle Bay this morning.


Coming around and heading for the slip.


Approaching the slip.


Into the West Slip as the SUPERIOR slows the barge down.


Close up of the Great Lakes Towing tug SUPERIOR.


A crew member of the SUPERIOR swings a line from the WITTE 1406.


Stern view of the tow.


SUPERIOR at Dobbin's Landing prior to departing.


Another view.


St. JOHN inbound.


Stern view as the vessel limps into the harbor.


SUPERIOR outbound.


Close up.


Side view.


Stern view.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

KUBER in Port, Departs

VICTORY and JAMES L. KUBER moved to the Old Ore Dock last night to finish unloading and departed at 0800 this morning for Calcite, Michigan.

A correction to the blog entry on the SUPERIOR and WITTE 1406: the parts loaded on the barge, per a story in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer, were bound for Alcoa in Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio. Alcoa builds aircraft parts for fighter jets, among others.




75-foot Hatteras yacht LUCKY ME outbound after spending the night at Perry's Landing Marina.


Stern view.


VICTORY and KUBER outbound.


Close up.


Close up of the VICTORY.


Stern view.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

KUBER Inbound

VICTORY and JAMES L. KUBER should be inbound in about 20 minutes going to the Mountfort Terminal to unload stone from Cedarville, Michigan.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Great Lakes Towing's SUPERIOR Arrives and Departs; KUBER Due

Great Lakes Towing's 98-year-old tug SUPERIOR arrived in Erie early this morning and picked up deck barge WITTE 1406 at Donjon Shipbuilding and shifted the barge to the Mountfort Terminal. There the duo spent the day loading the machinery delivered by the FEDERAL POWER on July 2.

The WITTE 1406 has been chartered for this, its first cargo-carrying run, to move this machinery to the port of Cleveland, where it will be delivered to Alcoa for use in a plant upgrade that will save 800 jobs in the city of Cleveland.

The SUPERIOR departed with the WITTE 1406 in tow astern at 2015 hours this evening. They should arrive in Cleveland sometime tomorrow.

Tug VICTORY and barge JAMES L. KUBER, with stone from Cedarville, are expected in Erie at 1700 Tuesday.




SUPERIOR shifting at dock this afternoon.


SUPERIOR at dock.


WITTE 1406 at the Mountfort Terminal.


SUPERIOR in Erie harbor, shifting around to rig up a towline from the bow of the barge.


Stern view.


Rigging up the towline.


Departing the dock.


Outbound.


Stern view of the 1912-built tug. I will post video of the departure later this week.


Stern view.


Clearing Erie bound for Cleveland.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

FEDERAL MATANE Substituted

FEDERAL MATANE, which had been scheduled to visit Erie in mid-August, has been substituted and will be replaced with FEDERAL POWER, which will make its second visit of the season to Erie, tentatively scheduled for August 15.

Although many saltwater freighters visit Great Lakes ports more than once in a season, for any saltwater ship to visit Erie more than once in a season is extremely rare. In fact, the last time that happened was 1993 when the CLAUDIA I visited on May 13 and again on July 13.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Tall Ships Erie Ships Announced

As I first reported on the Erie Shipping News in March, the vessels scheduled to visit for Tall Ships Erie in September are the LYNX, BOUNTY, ROALD AMUNDSEN, UNICORN, PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II, PATHFINDER, and PLAYFAIR.

This is the first tall ships event in Erie since 2003, not 2000 as the promotion says.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

MANISTEE Arrives, Unloads Salt and Departs

MANISTEE arrived in Erie this afternoon at around 1230 with salt from Fairport Harbor, Ohio. The vessel docked ahead of former fleetmate J.S. St. JOHN at the Mountfort Terminal and spent the afternoon unloading before departing for Marblehead, Ohio at around 1730.

MANISTEE faced a challenge in turning in the harbor before leaving, as dozens of pleasure craft passed the vessel as it was leaving the dock and turning. One sailboat even grazed the MANISTEE with its sails as it was leaving the Mountfort Terminal.




MANISTEE inbound.


Close up.


Stern view.


MANISTEE docks ahead of the J.S. St. JOHN.


Swinging the unloading boom in, the MANISTEE gets ready to depart.


Ready to go.


Lowering the boom slightly, the MANISTEE prepares to cast off.


Sailboats give the MANISTEE no room to manouever.


Leaving the dock.


Turning.


Outbound.


Stern view in the lake.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

CALUMET, J. S. St. JOHN Photos

Below are images of the J.S. St. JOHN departing on Wednesday evening, with the CALUMET arriving shortly thereafter.




A crane on the North Pier watches the St. JOHN depart.


Outbound.


Shoveling sand off of the deck.


Stern view.


CALUMET inbound.


Another view.


Stern view.


Another view of the CALUMET.

Video of the CALUMET and St. JOHN will be posted tomorrow.