HOLLYHOCK REPLACES BUOYS; TOBAGO LOADING CONTINUES

USCGC HOLLYHOCK remains in port and was hard at work replacing the summer buoys this morning. At 1000 hours the crew had finished with Buoy 9 (the closest green buoy to the Mountfort Terminal) and moved to Buoy 11, making quick work of that before proceeding to Buoy 13, just north of the Old Ore Dock.

After Buoy 13 was finished the crew of the HOLLYHOCK slid sideways across the slip to Buoy 14 and would proceed to replace that buoy before getting Buoys 12 and 10, the red markers marking the western end of the navigation channel.

CLIPPER TOBAGO has finished loading the twelve tank cars delivered Friday and is sitting quietly now waiting the delivery of more cars so loading can continue.

The LANSDOWNE, which graced Erie's harborfront until the Port Authority evicted it in July, 2006, is featured on page B1 of the Erie Times News today. The LANSDOWNE now sits awaiting her fate in Buffalo, where she has been since being towed from Erie by the tug OHIO on July 16, 2006.

The Times News article quotes Port Authority Executive Director Ray Shreckengost as saying that he was not aware the barge was towed to Buffalo; he believed it was going to Toronto, where it was rumored to be headed throughout 2005 and into 2006. Shreckengost is quoted as saying that someone has "got to shoot the thing and put it out of its misery." In 2000 Shreckengost told the newspaper that the barge "looks fine to me."

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HOLLYHOCK in Presque Isle Bay on Sunday morning.


HOLLYHOCK in Presque Isle Bay on Sunday morning.


Lifting Buoy 11.


At the site of Buoy 13.


Lifting the winter marker for Buoy 13.


Marker goes over the side.


Moving the buoy into position.


CLIPPER TOBAGO at dock.


With the HOLLYHOCK in the background.


Waiting for another load.


LANSDOWNE in Buffalo on November 1, 2006. The LANSDOWNE has since been moved to a more prominent spot on Buffalo's waterfront, along US Route 5, as the article points out. The LANSDOWNE will likely remain there for a while, as Buffalo already has a convention center that is nowhere near the site. However, the article errs in saying that the LANSDOWNE is now near HSBC Arena and Dunn Tire Park, as the vessel is moored at least three miles west of downtown Buffalo.

WOLVERINE Arrives; COURAGE Due; Miscellaneous News

WOLVERINE finally arrived in Erie at 1730 yesterday afternoon, turning in the harbor and docking at the Mountfort Terminal at 1900 with stone from Meldrum Bay and Bruce Mines. The WOLVERINE spent the rest of the evening unloading and departed for Marblehead, Ohio at 0045 hours this morning.

AMERICAN COURAGE, with stone from Calcite, is due in Erie at 0130 on Saturday morning.

DAVIKEN is currently unloading part of her cargo at Montreal, and is expected to depart for Erie sometime on Saturday, and if weather and and the availability of Seaway pilots cooperates, should arrive here on Monday or Tuesday.

An article in the Erie Times News today quotes Port Authority Executive Director Ray Shreckengost as saying that the Port of Erie is on pace to have one of its best seasons in years.

Lakeshore Towing staff has spent the past several days working on the installation of a new breakwater at Perry's Landing Marina. The $244,000 breakwater was constructed by Great Lakes Towing Company of Cleveland, based on a design by Erie Shipbuilding Director of Engineering John Chapman.

And finally, tug TENACIOUS has finally cleared the Welland Canal pushing the WITTE 4003. The TENACIOUS will take the barge as far as Quebec City.

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WOLVERINE docking on Thursday night.


Another view.


The new breakwater at Perry's Landing Marina.


FLATTOP and barge 502 alongside the breakwater.

Erie Times-News article elaborates on TWOLAN's visit

According to an article in today's Erie Times-News, the W.N. TWOLAN and McALLISTER 132 are new business for the port of Erie, and should be arriving every two weeks. The article mentions that Ray Shreckengost, speaking at the State Transportation Commission meeting in Hermitage last week, noted that Lake Erie Biofuels, like Great Lakes Feeder Lines an Erie Management Group company, has approached the port about shipping 1.5 million gallons of biodiesel per month to Europe through the port. Seeing as how there are no existing facilities to load a tanker here, I'm not holding my breath on the biodiesel being shipped out. Also of note is that at one time Great Lakes Feeder Lines had desired to ship containers through the port of Erie, yet has to date not debuted its service on the Great Lakes.

The article, however, fails to mention the new Cruise Boat Terminal that won't see any cruise ships until 2010 at the earliest, and that the port is asking for money for a new terminal for the proposed fast-freight ferry and more money for a high-speed ferry to replace the small, passenger-only ferry they have under construction.