AMERICAN MARINER Due

AMERICAN MARINER is due in Erie at around 1300 on Saturday, loaded with a cargo of stone. This is the ship's first visit to Erie since July 4, 2012.

MANITOWOC DUE

MANITOWOC, laden with stone from Cedarville, is expected in Erie at 1900 tonight. After unloading, MANITOWOC will be loading sand at the Mountfort Terminal for discharge at the North Pier for beach replenishment.

HOUSTON Anchors

HOUSTON has anchored in the Detroit River and will likely not be arriving tomorrow. I will continue to post updates as I'm able.

HOUSTON Due

HOUSTON is expected to arrive in Erie at around 1030 hours on Thursday.

U.S. Flag Saltie Due

For the first time in many years, a U.S. flagged saltwater ship is expected to visit Erie this week. Teras Shipping's HOUSTON, in ballast out of Duluth, is expected to arrive in Erie at 0600 on Friday morning. The ship, which was built in China, is not Jones Act-compliant and therefore will be loading for an overseas port; the owner's website has the ship due in Norfolk around June 15 seeking cargo in the direction of Jakarta, Indonesia.

Jones Act-compliant ships, which are capable of carrying cargo between two U.S. ports, must be built in the USA, as well as owned and crewed by Americans, are becoming a less common site on the world's oceans. The Jones Act, which has come under fire recently from Senator John McCain, who is lobbying to let his corporate cronies sail foreign-flagged cruise ships between two U.S. ports, is designed to protect American jobs, and does well in doing so. Without the act, the U.S. merchant fleet would disappear entirely.

However, ships not built in the U.S. are allowed to be flagged here, so long as they don't load in one U.S. port and discharge that cargo in another. It's become commonplace among shipowners seeking U.S. government cargo to buy secondhand ships on the world market and reflag them U.S., or even to reflag ships they had built. Maersk has about two dozen U.S. flagged container ships; Hapag Lloyd owns five, and APL Logistics owns several registered in the U.S. These ships trade in container services worldwide; in addition, several fleets own auto carriers and general cargo ships such as HOUSTON.

Keep checking back for updates on HOUSTON's arrival.

H. LEE WHITE Due

H. LEE WHITE makes her first visit of the season to Erie when she arrives at 0800 on Friday with a cargo of stone.

JOSEPH H. THOMPSON DUE

JOSEPH H. THOMPSON, with stone from Calcite, is expected in Erie at 1030 this morning.

RISLEY Stopped

SAMUEL RISLEY is currently stopped in the ice offshore of Ashtabula, and about 35 miles from Erie harbor. At this time, icebreaking is still scheduled to begin at 0700 Friday morning.

RISLEY Due at 0700

SAMUEL RISLEY will begin icebreaking in Erie at around 0700 on Friday morning. This will be RISLEY's first visit to Erie since January, 1996, when the big Canadian icebreaker escorted Algoma's SAUNIERE into Erie to unload a cargo of salt.

SAMUEL RISLEY DUE

After about ten days of delay, SAMUEL RISLEY is expected to arrive in Erie on Friday morning for icebreaking ahead of the departure of DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER, which is expected this weekend.

SAMUEL RISLEY Due

Canadian Coast Guard ship SAMUEL RISLEY is expected to arrive in Erie on Monday to break ice in Erie harbor to prepare for departure of DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER from Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair. This will be RISLEY's first visit to the port in 19 years.

Keep checking back for updates.

MARTIN, THUNDER BAY DUE

With icebreaker escort, both THUNDER BAY and RT. HON. PAUL J. MARTIN should be arriving in Erie tomorrow morning.

Watch Erie Shipping News for better ETAs and live updates.

THUNDER BAY Due

THUNDER BAY will be arriving at 1700.

DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER DELAYED

DOROTHY ANN / PATHFINDER are currently stopped in the lower Detroit River due to ice. The duo has no ETA for Erie at this time.

PALMERTON Departs; MANITOWOC Due

PALMERTON departed Erie this morning at 0800 bound for Montreal and eventually for Brazil.

MANITOWOC, with salt from Fairport Harbor, is expected to arrive in Erie at around 0300.

Photos will follow tomorrow.

PALMERTON DUE TO LOAD LOCOMOTIVES

Heavy-lift ship PALMERTON is expected to arrive in Erie at around 0800 on Tuesday to load locomotives for Vale Mining in Brazil. This will be the latest saltwater ship to arrive in Erie.

PALMERTON DUE

Saltwater ship PALMERTON is expected in Erie, in ballast from Duluth, at 2200 on Monday to load locomotives.

DEFIANCE/ASHTABULA Due

Tug DEFIANCE and barge ASHTABULA, with stone from Marblehead, Ohio, are due in Erie at 1215 this afternoon. This is the duo's first visit ever to Erie since coming to the Lakes to operate for Grand River Navigation in 2012.

BOLAND Visits; MANITOWOC Due

JOHN J. BOLAND arrived in Erie at 0130 on Thursday morning and docked at the Old Ore Dock to unload a cargo of stone. BOLAND backed away from the Ore Dock around 1000 hours, turned in Presque Isle Bay and departed for Ashtabula to load a cargo of coal for Serpent Harbour, Ontario.

MANITOWOC is expected in Erie at 0730 on Wednesday morning with a cargo of stone.

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BOLAND unloading at the Old Ore Dock.


A section of the new tank barge in the drydock at Donjon.


Another view of the BOLAND.


Backing into Erie harbor. The Erie Fire Department is testing their hoses at the Mountfort Terminal in the foreground.


Turning.


Headed outbound.


Note the anchor partially down after assisting the ship in it's turn.


Another view of the BOLAND.


Close up of the anchor.


Stern view as the BOLAND heads out.

MANITOWOC Visits; BOLAND Due

MANITOWOC arrived in Erie this morning around 0100 and docked at the Mountfort Terminal to unload salt from Fairport Harbor. MANITOWOC departed around 0615 bound for Fairport Harbor to load another salt cargo.

JOHN J. BOLAND, laden with stone, is expected in Erie at around 0200 Thursday.