Duluth Harbor Boat Traffic for Saturday 3/22/2014

Cason J Callaway departed at 13:00
Presque Isle departed at 20:15

Presque Isle Departure 4/22/2014

Break - Out!

After weeks of hard work by the Alder and tugs, the big Lakers are out of winter hibernation.
The Cason J Callaway was the first out of the harbor today on it's way to Two Harbors to pick up a load of Taconite.
It will load and join a convoy of 3 Lakes and 3 cutters to venture across Lake Superior which is still 85% ice covered.
The 1000ft Presque Isle and John Munson will depart by tomorrow night to also be part of the convoy after loading in Two Harbors.

Cason J Callaway

Cason J Callaway

Shipping Update

Provide by the Duluth Port Authority

First Lakers of the 2014 Shipping Season to depart Port of Duluth-Superior this weekend

Duluth, Minn. (3/21/14) – Near record-setting thick and fast ice across the Great Lakes has slowed the start of the 2014 navigation season. However, traffic is set to start moving in the Port of Duluth-Superior as early as middaytomorrow – Sat., March 22 – with the anticipated departure of two Great Lakes Fleet carriers: the Cason J. Callawayand the Presque Isle. Both will head to Two Harbors, where they will load iron ore pellets bound for steel mills on the Lower Lakes. Plans are to have a third fleet mate that wintered in the Twin Ports – the John G. Munson – join them in Two Harbors to load on Sunday or Monday. All three vessels are operated by Key Lakes, Inc., and all have reinforced hulls able to withstand significant ice pressure here at the Head of the Lakes.

Those three lakers will then await the arrival of three U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers – the Mackinaw, Morro Bay andKatmai Bay – who are currently cutting tracks across Lake Superior from the Soo Locks to Duluth. After a respite to restock/refuel, the USCG units will depart, slowing down just long enough near Two Harbors to pick up and escort the GLF vessels in a convoy across the Lake and through the St. Marys River and locks at Sault Ste. Marie. 

Local icebreaking assets – USCG cutter Alder and commercial tugs from Heritage Marine and Great Lakes Towing – will continue working to open up tracks here in the Duluth-Superior Harbor as the Mesabi Miner is scheduled to load coal at the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal early next week for delivery to Taconite Harbor, then return to reload for a trip to Marquette. Additional vessels that wintered over in the Twin Ports (including the Kaye E. Barker, Great Republic,American Spirit, St. Clair, Walter J. McCarthy) are fitting-out and plan to get underway within the next couple of weeks.

With ever-changing ice conditions and weather patterns, plans are to have Coast Guard assists for upbound vessel traffic as well, so terminals in the Twin Ports can expect to see the first inbound lakers arrive to load around April 1. Oceangoing (i.e. ‘saltie’) traffic will be later as locks in the far eastern end of the Seaway system aren’t set to open until March 31.

Soo Locks opening on schedule

Ice or not, the Soo Locks will open on schedule, next Monday March 24th at midnight. Ice breakers will be putting in long hours and boat movement will be slow at first, but there's no stopping the season now. The Tregurtha may make some local runs in the mean time to Taconite Harbor on the North Shore. Below is an AIS view of the boats in the harbor that have now come back to life for the season and preparing to ship out.