GOTT, KAMINISTIQUA, OJIBWAY Due for Layup

EDWIN H. GOTT will be arriving in Erie in the morning after daylight for layup at the Old Ore Dock.

KAMINISTIQUA, due for drydocking, will be placed into drydock on Wednesday morning with assistance from a tug from Great Lakes Towing.

OJIBWAY is waiting for KAMINISTIQUA to depart Windsor so that the vessel can unload its cargo of canola before proceeding to Erie for layup.

Plans have changed and ROGER BLOUGH, which was supposed to get one more load to Conneaut before layup, will be spending the winter in Milwaukee instead. Ice prevented the ship from getting back to Lake Superior for this load, and after discharging her current cargo in Gary, Indiana the BLOUGH will proceed to Milwaukee for layup.

GOTT DUE

EDWIN H. GOTT is expected to arrive Erie at 0500 on Tuesday for winter layup and will be the first of this season's winter layups to arrive.

KAMINISTIQUA Update

KAMINISTIQUA is currently unloading in Windsor and is next due in Erie early this week for drydocking. I will update when I learn more.

KAMINISTIQUA Update

KAMINISTIQUA is currently anchored above the St. Clair River, loaded with a cargo of canola for Windsor. After unloading the vessel will head to Erie and go into the drydock at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair. KAMINISTIQUA likely will not arrive until Friday or Saturday at the earliest.

Watch Erie Shipping News for updates.

OJIBWAY, KAMINISTIQUA TO LAYUP AT SHIPYARD

Word from the lakes has Lower Lakes Towing sending two of their vessels to Erie for layup at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair later this month or early in January.

KAMINISTIQUA will be at Donjon for her five year survey, and OJIBWAY will be here for unspecified repairs. Neither vessel has wintered at Erie before.

These are in addition to EDWIN H. GOTT and ROGER BLOUGH, which will winter in Erie at Erie Sand & Gravel's docks.

MANISTEE Arrives

MANISTEE arrived in Erie at 0500 this morning, turned in the harbor and docked at the Mountfort Terminal at around 0630. The vessel spent the morning unloading salt from Fairport Harbor and departed at 1220 hours this afternoon.

MANISTEE DUE

MANISTEE, loaded with salt from Fairport, is expected in Erie tonight around 2330.

ROGER BLOUGH VISITS

In a preview of winter layup, ROGER BLOUGH arrived in Erie this morning at 0245, in ballast from Conneaut, and docked at the Mountfort Terminal to undergo repairs. BLOUGH had a couple of small leaks that needed repairs. The vessel departed today at 1400 bound for Lake Superior and another ore cargo.

Surprisingly this year, PRESQUE ISLE will not be spending the winter in Erie. BLOUGH and EDWIN H. GOTT are reported to be the two vessels spending the winter here from Great Lakes Fleet.

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BLOUGH at the Mountfort Terminal this morning.

Another view of the 858' long BLOUGH.


J.S. St. JOHN inbound. This is one of the latest trips the vessel has made in recent memory.


Stern view.


St. JOHN approaches the Old Ore Dock.


Mooring.


BLOUGH starts to move away from the Mountfort Terminal around 1345 this afternoon.


Moving away from the dock.


BLOUGH lines up for the channel.


Close up.


Stern view.


Passing the lighthouse.


Outbound.

BLOUGH IN PORT

ROGER BLOUGH arrived at 0245 and went to the Mountfort Terminal.

ROGER BLOUGH DUE

ROGER BLOUGH is expected in Erie tonight or early in the morning for repairs. The repairs are only expected to take a few hours and the ship will be back underway in the afternoon.

Watch Erie Shipping News for updates.

ALGORAIL Visits

ALGORAIL arrived off of Erie this morning around 1030 with her second load of salt from Windsor delivered to the port this season. The ship turned outside of Buoys 1 & 2 and backed into the harbor to dock at the Mountfort Terminal.

After unloading, the 1967-built ALGORAIL departed at 1700 this afternoon bound for Windsor to load another salt cargo.

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ALGORAIL backing into Erie at Buoys 3&4.


Another view.


In the channel.


Bow view.


ALGORAIL turns toward the dock.


Another view.


ALGORAIL moves toward the dock.


Starboard side view.


Backing into position.


Docking at Mountfort Terminal.


Finished unloading and ready to depart.


Moving away from the dock.


Outbound.


Close up.


Stern view.

FRONTENAC Departs

After two days of floating in the flooded graving dock at Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair waiting on weather, FRONTENAC began warming her engine this morning in preparation for departure. The 1967-built bulk carrier had been on the blocks at Donjon since October 23 for her five year survey. With the survey complete it's time for the FRONTENAC to get back to work.

At around 0945, the day's window of opportunity for weather opened and the ship began moving slowly out of the graving dock into Erie harbor. After leaving the dock the ship, which had drafts of only 15'6" forward and 18'3" inches aft, began to ballast as it headed outbound. FRONTENAC departed at 1015 this morning bound for Ashtabula, Ohio to load. 

However, unable to get into Ashtabula this afternoon, the FRONTENAC is currently downbound for The anchorage behind Long Point to wait out weather. The vessel's crew reported winds of up to 45 knots. FRONTENAC's first two trips will be from Ashtabula to Quebec City, and she will then return to Hamilton to load ore from the shuttered US Steel plant there and take it to Quebec City.

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FRONTENAC in the graving dock this morning, starting to work her way slowly forward.


Turning the corner around the Mountfort Terminal.


Picking up speed, FRONTENAC lines up for the channel.


Another view. 

Another view of the 729' long bulk carrier.


In the channel.


Stern view. Note the amount of water being kicked up by the vessel's propeller.


A view with the pierhead lighthouse.


Outbound for Ashtabula. Note the waves on the lake.

FRONTENAC Ready to Emerge

FRONTENAC is positioned in the graving dock at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair and will reportedly be emerging from drydock tomorrow. 

I will provide updates as I am able.

One Hundred Years since the Great Storm

This week marks the one hundred year anniversary of the Great Storm of 1913, responsible for more lost ships and mariners than any blow in Great Lakes history. The storm began on November 7, 1913 on Lake Superior and over the next few days buffeted all of the Great Lakes. 

Lake Huron received the worst of the blow. Eight vessels went down there, of thirteen total that went down on the Great Lakes.

On Lake Erie, LIGHTSHIP 82 was blown off station off of Buffalo, New York, taking six lives. Around 250 lives were taken in the blow. 

 November is a bad month for shipwrecks on the lakes. The most recent, EDMUND FITZGERALD, went down November 10, 1975 with the loss of 29 lives on Lake Superior. 

The thousands of mariners lost over 300 years of navigation on the lakes are gone, but never forgotten.

FRONTENAC Floating

FRONTENAC is now floating in the drydock at Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair, and will likely be departing when the wind dies down.