USCGC BISCAYNE BAY Stops in Port

The U.S. Coast Guard's 140-foot long icebreaking tug BISCAYNE BAY, WTGB-104, arrived in Erie at 2130 on Tuesday and anchored in Presque Isle Bay. This afternoon, the tug moved to the west side of Dobbin's Landing.

BISCAYNE BAY is one of nine "Bay class" Coast Guard cutters constructed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and one of five stationed on the Great Lakes. BISCAYNE BAY is stationed in St. Ignace, Michigan and is nicknamed "Sentinel of the Straits," due to her homeport's location in the Straits of Mackinac.

It is unknown how long the BISCAYNE BAY will be in port.

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BISCAYNE BAY at dock.


Overhead view.


Close up.

RONALD J. DAHLKE Arrives, Departs; THOMPSON in Port

Andrie's 65-foot long, 1903-built tug RONALD J. DAHLKE, pushing a jack-up barge, arrived in Erie at 1045 this morning and docked on the west side of Dobbin's Landing. The duo on a voyage from Muskegon, Michigan to Rochester, New York and stopped in Erie for fuel.

DAHLKE completed fueling at around 1530 this afternoon and departed for Rochester. The tow is making about seven knots, which will put the ship at the Welland Canal at about 0100 in the morning.

Shortly after the RONALD J. DAHLKE departed, JOSEPH H. THOMPSON arrived in Erie with stone from Calcite and docked at the Old Ore Dock. THOMPSON should depart sometime tonight.

I will post video of both arrivals sometime tomorrow.

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RONALD J. DAHLKE pushes the barge inbound.


Another view.


Close up of the barge.


Close up of the RONALD J. DAHLKE, with its pilothouse raised. This allows the captain and crew to see over the barge.


Stern view.


Stern view.


Into Presque Isle Bay.


In Presque Isle Bay approaching West Dobbin's Landing.


Docking. When the tug docked it put down the two spuds (the poles on the sides of the barge) to secure it to the bottom of the bay, along with putting one line out.


At dock with the pilothouse up.


A moment later the pilothouse is down.


The first thing done when the barge docked was the pumping out of the barge's portable toilet. The entire process took less than five minutes.


A fisherman on the North Pier watches the THOMPSON this afternoon.


THOMPSON inbound.


Another view.


In the channel.


Stern view into the channel.


Another view as the THOMPSON enters Presque Isle Bay.

GRANDE MARINER Visits; American Waterways Wind Symphony to Play Concerts Aboard POINT COUNTERPOINT II

GRANDE MARINER arrived in port this afternoon at around 1300 and docked on the east side of Dobbin's Landing. The MARINER arrived from Cleveland and will depart shortly after midnight for Buffalo, New York.

American Waterways Wind Symphony's floating orchestra barge POINT COUNTERPOINT II was moved back to its original mooring on the west side of Dobbin's Landing earlier this week as it prepares to fit out for its 2009 summer Great Lakes tour. The tour will take it to Fairport Harbor, Ohio on June 27, and will bring the POINT COUNTERPOINT II back to Erie for concerts on July 3 at 7:30 p.m. and July 4 at 2:30 p.m. The concerts will take place behind the Erie Maritime Museum, and tickets are $10 at the gate.

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GRANDE MARINER at dock.


Another view.


POINT COUNTERPOINT II is now back where it docked when it first arrived in Erie last August.


Stern view.


Overhead view with the Bicentennial Tower.


Close up of the POINT COUNTERPOINT II. Both of these overhead photos were taken from the parking ramp of the Sheraton Hotel. In all the time the POINT COUNTERPOINT II was there last fall, I never considered going up there for photos until today. And I didn't consider using the elevator until after I climbed back down the stairs today.

PAV 101 DEPARTS

This morning the tug HERBERT P. BRAKE moved from her dock at East Dobbin's Landing and tied up alongside the deck barge PAV 101. At 7:30 the tug's crew released the lines securing the PAV 101 to Erie Shipbuilding, and about 10 minutes later departed the West Slip outbound for Lake Erie. The barge was towed on the hip stern first from the harbor bound for the old Erie Canal, and eventually, Albany.

The 165-foot long deck barge was registered with the American Bureau of Shipping as being delivered on October 16. The ABS lists her registered owner as Donjon Marine.


HERBERT P. BRAKE tied up alongside the barge this morning.


Close up of the BRAKE, her pilothouse up.


In Erie harbor, outbound.


Another view of the barge PAV 101.


In the channel.


Side view.


Close up of the pilothouse of the BRAKE.


Stern view of the unit.


Note in this shot the angle with which the tug and barge are together.


PAV 101 departs Erie for the first, and probably final time.

NINA Arrives in Port

A replica of Columbus's sailing ship NINA arrived in Erie this afternoon and is tied up at Dobbin's Landing. Starting tomorrow the vessel, a caravel, will be open for public tours at a cost of $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for students.


NINA at dock.