Shipping Season Begins; BLOUGH, PRESQUE ISLE to fit out late

The 2009-2010 shipping season began on the Great Lakes last Saturday, March 14, when the steamer ALPENA departed Cleveland, Ohio bound for her namesake port of Alpena, Michigan to load cement. That same day the CANADIAN OLYMPIC departed Port Colborne, Ontario bound for Goderich to load salt. Since that time, the GREAT LAKES TRADER, JOSEPH L. BLOCK, and AMERICAN MARINER have gotten underway to begin the new shipping season.

Locally, however, the shipping season won't get underway until mid-April. As all of Great Lakes Fleet's vessels have had their fitouts delayed due to weak demand for iron ore. Therefore, engine room crews will not report to the ROGER BLOUGH and PRESQUE ISLE until April 8, and the vessels will be departing on April 15.

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Steamer ALPENA at dock in Cleveland before departure on Saturday March 14.


Departing the LaFarge dock.


Backing around to depart the winding turn in the Cuyahoga. Approaching this dock required the ALPENA to back in and make a 180 degree turn through the Flats in Cleveland to moor at the dock. The Shooters restaurant from which these photos were taken is a popular destination for boaters in the summer, but it is occasionally struck by a passing ship if boaters refuse to move their moored boats.


With the tug IOWA, itself a former Erie visitor, the ALPENA waits for train traffic to pass on the Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge.


ALPENA departs Cleveland to begin the new shipping season.


ROGER BLOUGH at dock on March 17.


Stern view.


PRESQUE ISLE at the Mountfort Terminal.


Close up of the tug.


Another view of the barge.

Ships Beginning to Run

Winter layup is almost over and it won't be long before the four vessels spending the winter under repair in Erie will be leaving.

On the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, CANADIAN TRANSPORT, CANADIAN ENTERPRISE, Rt. HON. PAUL J. MARTIN, and several chemical tankers are running. The ENTERPRISE, TRANSPORT, and MARTIN are all running coal from the nearby ports of Conneaut and Ashtabula to Nanticoke, Ontario. On the American side, the cement carrier ALPENA and a few tug-barge combinations hauling cement or petroleum products are in operation, with the 1000-footer MESABI MINER due to begin hauling coal from Superior, WI to Marquette, MI this weekend before the Soo Locks open on March 25.

As I've written, both CASON J. CALLAWAY and MICHIPICOTEN should leave late next week. The PRESQUE ISLE should leave a few days later.

Historical Arrivals for February 9: LEON FRASER

1973: LEON FRASER arrives for winter layup at the Litton Shipyard. The FRASER, of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company, is the latest vessel ever to arrive in Erie for winter layup. The vessel had been running late that year because the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan were kept open for an extended period as part of an Army Corp of Engineers experiment of the viability of winter shipping. This allowed the FRASER and several fleetmates to run between Lake Superior and the lower lakes with iron ore until late in the year.

The FRASER sails today as the cement carrier ALPENA, hauling cement for LaFarge.

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CASON J. CALLAWAY at dock on Friday night.


With the J.S. ST. JOHN.


MICHIPICOTEN at dock on Friday night.


Another view.

Historical Winter Layup: 1967/68

This winter, Erie should see two or three ships spending the winter in the port. By contrast, forty winters ago, during the winter of 1967-1968, the following ships were in the port.

For winter layup: ALPENA, BETHLEHEM, HENRY J. DALTON, ARTHUR B. HOMER, LAKEWOOD, LEHIGH, NIAGARA, POINTE NOIRE, SPARROWS POINT, WALTER E. WATSON.

In long-term layup, having not sailed the previous season: E.A.S. CLARKE, HARRY CROFT, C.H. MCCULLOUGH JR.

And in port for conversion to a sand dredge: J.S. St. JOHN

SAM LAUD in port; Sand load due over weekend

The SAM LAUD arrived in port at 0200 this morning with stone from Cedarville. The vessel unloaded throughout the early morning hours and departed at 0800 for the NS Coal Dock in Ashtabula to load coal for Alpena.

Unloading continues on the McALLISTER 132; however, as of this afternoon they have yet to finish unloading the paper part of the cargo.


Unloading resumes on the McALLISTER 132.


LAUD unloading this morning.


Overhead view.


Ninety seconds after I took the last photo, unloading is complete.


Backing fron the Old Ore Dock. Thanks to the kind staff at O-N Minerals for allowing me to take this photograph.


Rounding the Mountfort Terminal.


Passing the TWOLAN and McALLISTER 132 at the Mountfort Terminal.


Close up of the LAUD.


In the channel.


Stern view.


Outbound for Ashtabula.


Another view of the McALLISTER 132 at dock.

According to the Erie Times-News today, the first shipment of sand will be arriving from Thessalon on Sunday or Monday. Traffic is extremely busy this year and is expected to get busier; the lumber being brought in by the McALLISTER 132 is being shipped to Florida and the Carolinas via CSX and with sand, and possibly biodiesel being shipped through the port this year, Erie could handle six different commodities this year. This is two more than last year, when the port handled stone, sand, salt and a single load of locomotives.

BUFFALO Arrives in Erie; BOLAND Due, PRESQUE ISLE Due out on Sunday

BUFFALO, delayed slightly by rough weather on Lake Erie, arrived in Erie at 0930 this morning, docking at the Old Ore Dock to unload stone from Calcite. After she is finished unloading she will depart Erie for the nearby port of Ashtabula, Ohio to load coal for Alpena, Michigan.

JOHN J. BOLAND, also with stone from Calcite, is due in Erie at around 1830 tonight.

PRESQUE ISLE is expecting to depart Erie sometime Sunday once repairs on the stern tube are complete, according to officials at the Mountfort Terminal.


PRESQUE ISLE at dock this morning.


Buffalo inbound.


Close up.


Workers begin pumping water from the cofferdam inserted under the PRESQUE ISLE.


Marine Services of Erie's tug LOW BIDDER inbound Erie, overtaking the BUFFALO.


Stern view of the BUFFALO.


Passing the PRESQUE ISLE.


Approaching the dock


Landing a crewman with the landing boom.


At dock with the J.S.St. JOHN.

Historical arrivals for August 18:
2006- DAVID Z. NORTON arrives with stone from Calcite for the Old Ore Dock.

AMERICAN COURAGE Due; 2nd Visit this week

AMERICAN COURAGE, with stone from Calcite, makes her second visit of the week to the port when she arrives at 1730 tomorrow. The COURAGE visited on Monday, departing at 0800. After that she arrived in Ashtabula at 1230 that day and loaded coal for Alpena, then proceeded to Calcite to load.