SAGINAW Visits; CHEYENNE in Port

SAGINAW arrived in Erie this morning at 0830 with sand from Thessalon, Ontario for beach replenishment. This is SAGINAW's first trip to Erie since April 12, 2004.

SAGINAW unloaded the third load of sand for beach replenishment throughout the morning and early afternoon before departing at 1500 bound for Toledo to load coal.

Tug CHEYENNE and Erie-built barge WITTE 1402 arrived in Erie today and moored at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair. The tug/barge unit is on its way back from delivering cargo to Fairport Harbor, Ohio and are here to pick up the barge WITTE 1407. WITTE 1407 will be taken to New York. I will update with more on CHEYENNE's departure as I learn more.

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SAGINAW backing into Erie harbor.


Lowering the workboat to put deckhands ashore.


Swinging the boom out.


Unloading in the early afternoon.


Stern view of the classic laker. The last time SAGINAW was in Erie, the vessel was a steamship; SAGINAW has since been repowered.


J.S. St JOHN inbound.


Close up


Stern view.


Departing at 1500.


SAGINAW in the channel at Buoys 3 & 4.


Outbound.


Headed up the lake.


Course change - heading up the lake.


SAGINAW picks up speed.


SAGINAW's classic bow.


Stern view, departing for Toledo.


CHEYENNE at dock with WITTE 1402.


A puff of smoke from CHEYENNE's stack. Note J.S. St. JOHN turning in the background to head outbound


CHEYENNE pushing on the barge WITTE 1402.

Lakeshore Towing Finishes Dredging; Announcing Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair; Notes on Donjon Marine; Miscellaneous News and Notes

Lakeshore Towing Services completed dredging of the Old Ore Dock on Friday. Although the job was not complete ice is beginning to form in the harbor and is making it impractical to continue to dredge. However, the company was able to get quite a bit of dredging done.

The Old Ore Dock will likely have to be dredged every few years, as ships docking there stir up sediment with their propellers and that sediment is deposited along the east side of the dock, where ships dock to unload. With more sediment deposited there ships must load less cargo to dock there, and dredging is a cheaper alternative to getting more ships into the dock.

Donjon Marine has announced the formation of their new shipyard, Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair (DSR). DSR has purchased the assets of Erie Shipbuilding and is working under a new long-term lease with the Erie Western-Pennsylvania Port Authority to establish a shipbuilding and ship repair facility at the yard. No word as to yet as to what their first projects will be, or what will become of the tug CLYDE VANENKEVORT and barge ERIE TRADER that were under construction at the yard. Rumors floating around were that the tug would be finished and go to the ocean to push an oil barge, but I'm not sure if that will happen.

Longtime readers of the Erie Shipping News will recall that Donjon is the largest customer Erie Shipbuilding ever had, with their order for a dumpscow (WITTE 4003) and five deck barges (WITTE 1401, WITTE 1402, WITTE 1403, WITTE 1404, and WITTE 1405). In addition, their then-subsidiary Port Albany Ventures ordered several other deck barges. Less than a month ago Donjon sold their 1/2 interest in PAV to their partner. I'm not sure if that was related to their purchase of ESB, but sources tell me that Donjon is extremely serious about making the shipyard the best facility possible. The only disadvantage DSR will have is that the facility only has about 4,000 feet of dock space, some of which is falling apart, particularly on the east side of the property adjacent to the Old Ore Dock.

Donjon also operates a full-service marine operation that includes towing and salvage.

In other harbor news and notes, EDGAR B. SPEER and PRESQUE ISLE should be arriving in Erie sometime after the first of the year for winter layup. PRESQUE ISLE will, as usual, be going to the Mountfort Terminal where the cofferdam will be installed on the vessel to allow for replacement of the ever-problematic shaft seals.

CHEYENNE DEPARTS

CHEYENNE, with deck barges WITTE 1402 and SUE B. in tow, departed Erie at 2330 on Friday evening. The tow is now downbound in the Welland Canal.

Tugs will be taking the rest of the barges out of Erie within the next month or two.

CHEYENNE TO TAKE TWO DECK BARGES

Port Albany Ventures' pretty canal tug CHEYENNE arrived in Erie at 0200 this morning and docked at the West Slip alongside the newly-built deck barge SUE B. The tug spent the morning preparing SUE B. for its tow to Albany before shifting to the WITTE 1402 at around 1430 today. The CHEYENNE moved WITTE 1402 backwards before taking the SUE B. in tow and turning it in the slip, mooring the barge bow-to-bow with WITTE 1402 to make them up for the tow through the Welland Canal to Oswego, NY. From Oswego the barges will be taken through the New York State Barge Canal one at a time.

After working on making up the tow, the CHEYENNE entered the drydock at Erie Shipbuilding at 1700 today and emerged a half-hour later with the newest deck barge, WITTE 1405, in tow. The WITTE 1405 is now secured alongside WITTE 1404.

CHEYENNE is scheduled to leave this weekend bound for Oswego.

CCGS SHARK departed Erie at 0815 this morning bound for Port Dover, Ontario. BUFFALO departed yesterday at 1915 bound for Calcite.

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CHEYENNE turns to back toward the SUE B. at 1450 this afternoon.


Backing up.


Coming alongside SUE B.


The tug prepares to move the SUE B. away from WITTE 1401.


Moving away.


Passing by the WITTE 1404.


Close up of the 1965-built tug, a sister to the CROW, which visited Erie last November to pick up the PAV 103.


Stern view.


Turning the barge in the West Slip.


Close up of the tug.


CHEYENNE gets lost in a puff of diesel smoke.


Turning the barge toward dock.


CHEYENNE's stern was right against the west side of the slip during most of the towing operation.


Another view of the tug.


CHEYENNE pushes the WITTE 1402 forward to line up with the SUE B.


With its tow.


Side view of the tug.


Alongside the SUE B.


The tug's crew pulls the two barges together.


A good smoker is the CHEYENNE as it leaves the West Slip to retrieve the WITTE 1405.


WITTE 1405 is officially launched.


CHEYENNE/WITTE 1405 coming into the West Slip.


Stern view of the pair.


Docking alongside two other DonJon Marine barges.


Docking WITTE 1405.


Work complete for the day, CHEYENNE rests alongside the barges it will tow to the East Coast.

BRISTOL BAY in Port

USCG BRISTOL BAY and buoy barge CGB 12001 arrived in port this morning at 0800 and moored at Coast Guard Station Erie so the barge could load the summer buoys that have spent the winter on the North Pier after their removal last fall by the cutter HOLLYHOCK. BRISTOL BAY's crew spent the day removing the unlighted winter markers and replacing them with the summer buoys before mooring at Station Erie at 1700 to unload the winter buoys. BRISTOL BAY departed at 2100 for Dunkirk, New York.

Deck barge WITTE 1402 was shifted backwards today at Erie Shipbuilding. I'm not sure if this is to facilitate work on the WITTE 1402 or to allow tugs access to the deck barge SUE B., but with the New York State Barge Canal opening on Thursday, the newly built barges should be leaving port sometime in the near future.

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BRISTOL BAY and CGB 12001 inbound.


BRISTOL BAY.


Side view.


Stern view of the pair.


Crane on CGB 12001 lifts buoys 12 and 14 onto the barge.


Buoys 12 and 14 secured on deck.