GOTT Update

After freeing HOLLYHOCK yesterday afternoon, EDWIN H. GOTT slowly proceeded westbound before getting stuck off of Erie. The vessel, with the assistance of HOLLYHOCK, attempted to break free from the heavy, windrowed ice off of Erie until stopping for the night around 2000 Sunday.

This morning, NEAH BAY departed it's base in Cleveland and headed eastbound, meeting up with the duo shortly after noon. In the meantime, CCGC GRIFFON and ALGOEAST passed the GOTT westbound, having a significantly easier time of the ice further north. After freeing HOLLYHOCK and GOTT, NEAH BAY is now proceeding westbound, leading the duo off of Conneaut, Ohio at this time. GOTT is bound for Detroit for fuel before heading to Two Harbors, Minnesota to load.

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GOTT warms her engines at the Old Ore Dock at 1015 on Sunday morning.


Turning the corner at the Mountfort Terminal.


View from the North Pier.


Lined up for the channel.


In the channel.


View from the North Pier.


Another view.


Stern view.


Passing through the piers.


Outbound.


GOTT hits the ice.


North Pierhead lighthouse and EDWIN H. GOTT.


HOLLYHOCK trying to break itself free off of Beach 10.


GOTT off of Beach 10.


Side view in the ice.

HOLLYHOCK ARRIVES

HOLLYHOCK arrived in Erie at 0930 today, turned in the channel and docked at Coast Guard Station Erie to load buoys. HOLLYHOCK spent the day replacing the buoys in the entrance channel.

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HOLLYHOCK passing the pierhead lighthouse inbound.


Close up.


Stern view.


Turning.


HOLLYHOCK docking.

HOLLYHOCK INBOUND

USCGC HOLLYHOCK will be inbound Erie in one hour to the Coast Guard station.

HOLLYHOCK Returns

USCGC HOLLYHOCK returned to port at 1800 this evening after spending the past two days in Buffalo. HOLLYHOCK docked at the Cruise Terminal and received provisions from a van from Station Erie.

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HOLLYHOCK inbound.


Stern view.


Approaching the Cruise Terminal at the foot of Holland Street.


Docking.

HOLLYHOCK Replaces Buoys

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter HOLLYHOCK spent today in port replacing the winter channel markers with the summer buoys. HOLLYHOCK's visit is about a month earlier than usual due to the mild winter; HOLLYHOCK was not needed for icebreaking as it normally is. buoy replacement began in upper Lake Huron in late March and, as Erie is usually one of the last ports to have buoys replaced, is probably almost complete.

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HOLLYHOCK moored at the North Pier at 1400 this afternoon. The crew is preparing to swing CG 231060, also known as "HOCK 1", over the side of the vessel.


Six crewmembers board HOCK 1.


HOCK 1 departs the HOLLYHOCK and heads into Presque Isle Bay.


Stern view of HOLLYHOCK.

BELUGA ENDURANCE in Port

BELUGA ENDURANCE, after enduring a slow transit across Lake Erie, arrived at the piers at 0720 this morning and slowly proceeded inbound to the Mountfort Terminal. At 0736 the vessel became stuck in the ice about 150 feet off of the dock.

Due to the miles of red tape that surround the U.S. Coast Guard's Operation Coal Shovel, the icebreaking operation for Lake Erie, the ENDURANCE had no assistance from Coast Guard Cutter HOLLYHOCK while arriving this morning. The pilot on the vessel had requested assistance from the HOLLYHOCK in breaking open the harbor so that the BELUGA ENDURANCE will have an easier time turning and departing tomorrow, to which the HOLLYHOCK told the pilot that they could not simply break open the harbor; the pilot needed to contact the Ice Operations Officer at Coast Guard Sector Detroit.

At 0900 the crew at the Mountfort Terminal began moving the five locomotives from the south track to the north track so that they may be loaded aboard BELUGA ENDURANCE and taken to Wales, which is the ultimate destination of the units.

The dock crew also used a backhoe to break ice around the dock for the BELUGA ENDURANCE, which took more than two hours to secure to the dock due to ice.

BELUGA ENDURANCE is expected to depart sometime tomorrow or Tuesday. HOLLYHOCK departed at around 1300 today.

I will post all of this video (there is nearly an hour worth of video of today's events) sometime tomorrow along with an update on the loading.

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BELUGA ENDURANCE inbound.


Another view.


Cracking the thinnest ice in the harbor.


Stern view.


Stuck fast.


Working in the ice.


By moving back and forth, the vessel's pilot was attempting to break the ice between him and the dock, with some success.


Getting closer to the dock.


All of the locomotives due to be shipped are shown in this picture.


HOLLYHOCK working at Buoy 5.


Inbound to drop off buoys.


70009 being moved to the north track.


This front-end loader moves toward the railcar to start pushing.


Pushing it onto the north track.


HOLLYHOCK at dock.


Lifting a buoy.


Ice fishermen off of Dobbin's Landing. Ice is reportedly 5 to 6 inches thick.



At 1600 this afternoon loading had yet to begin.

BELUGA ENDURANCE Arrives

BELUGA ENDURANCE is now in port and docked at the Mountfort Terminal. USCGC HOLLYHOCK is also in port, offloading buoys.

A full report, with photos and video, will appear later today.

BELUGA ENDURANCE, HOLLYHOCK DUE

BELUGA ENDURANCE is currently off of Erie; no word yet on when the vessel is heading in, but it seems as though it may be after daylight after all.

HOLLYHOCK is at anchor off of Erie and will be lifting anchor and getting underway inbound to Coast Guard Station Erie at around 0800. There the vessel will offload some buoys before heading out into the channel to replace buoys 1 and 5 with the winter ice markers. The HOLLYHOCK hopes to be underway and out of Erie by noon.

The pilot on the BELUGA ENDURANCE told the HOLLYHOCK's officer-on-duty that he would see the HOLLYHOCK inside the harbor, which indicates that the HOLLYHOCK may head in before the ENDURANCE does.

Check out the Erie Shipping News Twitter page, accessible by the link on the right hand side of the page, for up to the minute coverage as events unfold this morning.

CCGS SHARK in Port

CCGS SHARK arrived in Erie this evening at 1945 hours and docked at Wolverine Marina for the night. The vessel will be departing in the morning to work off of Erie harbor.

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HOLLYHOCK inbound Erie on April 29.


Working on Buoy 5.


SHARK inbound toward the West Canal Basin this evening.


Another view.


Approaching the entrance.


Passing the Sheraton Hotel.


Turning to head into Wolverine Marina.