SONGA PEARL DEPARTS

SONGA PEARL departed Erie this morning at 0945 bound for Montreal, and eventually for Rotterdam, Netherlands. The fifth load of biodiesel shipped through the port departed onboard the PEARL, which was drawing 7.98 meters of water upon departure. The PEARL was due at Long Point at 1045 and at the Welland Canal at 1415 today.

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SONGA PEARL departing the Mountfort Terminal this morning.


Anothre view.


PEARL slowly works away from the dock.


Stern view.


Passing the lighthouse.

SONGA PEARL TO DEPART WEDNESDAY

SONGA PEARL continues to load biodiesel at the Mountfort Terminal today and should be departing tomorrow morning bound for Rotterdam. Crews continue to work feverishly to get the biodiesel offloaded from railroad cars into the tanks on the SONGA PEARL.

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SONGA PEARL loading at the Mountfort Terminal Tuesday evening.


Another view.


Bow view of the loading.


Yacht QUICK RELEASE, of Port Colborne, Ontario, at Wolverine Marina.

SONGA PEARL ARRIVES

SONGA PEARL arrived in Erie in ballast from Sarnia this morning at around 0530, turned in Erie harbor and docked at the Mountfort Terminal. Shortly thereafter Lakeshore Towing deployed the oil-containment boom around the vessel and following Coast Guard inspection loading of the biodiesel, produced by Lake Erie Biofuels, began this morning.

The 2008-built SONGA PEARL will be in Erie until sometime tomorrow loading biodiesel.

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SONGA PEARL at the Mountfort Terminal this morning.


Another view.


With the railcars full of biodiesel next to her, the PEARL loads.

SONGA PEARL ETA

SONGA PEARL is due in Erie at around 0130 Monday morning. The vessel will begin loading biodiesel after a Coast Guard inspection at 0600, which should put the PEARL out sometime on Tuesday.

SONGA PEARL DUE; LIMNOS in Port

SONGA PEARL is currently discharging in Sarnia and currently expects to be finished at 0600 Sunday morning. After finishing, the tanker will depart for Erie and is expected to arrive to load biodiesel at around 0600 on Monday.

Canadian Coast Guard ship LIMNOS arrived in Erie harbor this evening at 1800 to collect water samples from Presque Isle Bay. After completing that task, the vessel departed for Long Point Bay about an hour later.

SONGA PEARL UPDATE

SONGA PEARL is currently unloading at Imperial Oil in Sarnia and is currently expected to arrive in Erie sometime on Saturday night or Sunday morning to load biodiesel.

SONGA PEARL Update

SONGA PEARL cleared the Welland Canal upbound this evening bound for Sarnia, Ontario to finish unloading. After that the PEARL will sail for Erie to load biodiesel.

Biodiesel Tanker Update; VICTORY/KUBER Go Aground

The next biodiesel tanker, SONGA PEARL, is now expected to arrive in Erie on Friday, August 8. Currently the SONGA PEARL is unloading part of her cargo in Hamilton.

Tug VICTORY/barge JAMES L. KUBER, on its first trip after visiting Erie last week, ran aground Saturday morning while inbound Fairport Harbor, Ohio with stone from Stoneport. The unit was attempting to enter the harbor in a strong west wind at around 1100 Saturday when they went aground on a sandbar in about 22 feet of water. After being stuck for nearly 24 hours, the KUBER and VICTORY were freed by the Great Lakes Towing tug ILLINOIS around 1030 this afternoon and continued inbound to unload stone.

SONGA PEARL Update

SONGA PEARL, the next biodiesel tanker expected in port, is currently westbound in the St. Lawrence River bound for Hamilton, Ontario with petroleum products. After unloading in Hamilton, the 2008-built PEARL will sail for Erie, where it is currently expected on August 6 to load biodiesel.

CLIPPER LEGACY Departs; PINEGLEN, Two More Biodiesel Tankers Due

Loading of biodiesel aboard CLIPPER LEGACY finished this morning at around 0100, when Lakeshore Towing removed the oil boom from around the vessel at the Mountfort Terminal. The LEGACY, fully laden with biodiesel produced by Lake Erie Biofuels, departed at around 0600 this morning bound for Montreal, and eventually, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The next biodiesel tanker expected is the SONGA PEARL, expected around the 6th of August. After that, the CLIPPER KATJA is due sometime between the 18th and 20th of August.

The PINEGLEN, at this time, is at anchor off of Erie awaiting clearance from Erie Shipbuilding to proceed into drydock. The vessel should be in Erie sometime later this afternoon for repairs. The PINEGLEN, owned by Canada Steamship Lines, is the first CSL vessel to visit Erie since the LOUIS R. DESMARAIS wintered here during the winter of 1997-1998, and is the first CSL vessel to use the drydock since the DESMARAIS did the previous winter.

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CLIPPER LEGACY underway in Lake Erie approaching Erie on Saturday.


Bow-on view.


LEGACY in the channel.


Stern view.


Starting to turn.


Turning in Presque Isle Bay.


Tug FLATTOP stands by as CLIPPER LEGACY turns.


LEGACY approaches the Mountfort Terminal.


Docking.

Next Biodiesel Tankers Due

The next biodiesel tanker will not be CLIPPER LEANDER; rather, its fleetmate CLIPPER LEGACY is expected to be alongside in Erie at the Mountfort Terminal tomorrow at 1400.

After that, the SONGA PEARL is expected in port to load biodiesel on either August 5 or August 6.