7-3 4:40 PM The Rt. Hon. Paul J Martin just gave a Security Call and will be
 departing the Gateway Metroport Main Dock in Lackawanna in about 15 mins
 headed for the lake.

7-3 Paul spotted the English River outbound at 11AM after having come in to
 unload at the LaFarge plant last night (2nd).

6-22 The Jackson should be here by this evening. 

  Mitch spotted the A-corn at General Mills yesterday, around 3:30PM.

6-21 The A-Corn & the Jackson seem to be loading wheat this weekend in Duluth, but I'm
 not sure yet when they might get here.

  Here's an interesting article from today's snews.

http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/709996.html?imw=Y

6-16 The English River was towed up to Lafarge at 2PM by the tug New Jersey and
 the Spruceglenn departed this this afternoon as well. 

6-14 The Spruceglenn was Eastbound on the lake for the Gateway Trade Terminal
 in Lackawanna at 6:30PM. She should be inside the South Entrance Channel by 7PM.

  The Karen Andrie-Endeavor will not be leaving until after midnight tonight.

6-13 Paul spotted the brand spankin' new asphalt barge Endevour with the newly
 rebuilt tug Karen Andrie in the notch and inbound for Tonawanda with her first
 cargo at 4:30PM this afternoon. I found them tied up at the Noco Product
 Terminal with the tug outboard from the barge at 8:30PM. At that time they
 were just getting finished with the final attachments to the discharge line on
 the barge. I have no idea how long they will be in port, since this is the
 first trip. She sure looks good. 

  Site clearing operations began during early June at the old Buffalo Color
 Corp. plant along South Park Ave. The Buffalo River side of the property was
 cleared of contaminates by Allied Chemical back in the 1990’s but the rest of
 the nearly 75 acre parcel of land still needs to be cleaned up. Many large
 structures remain standing with various amounts of contamination throughout.
 The remediation plan supposedly includes a large amount of land being set
 aside for public access to the Buffalo River. If a park setting is developed 
 along the river it would have great views of the railroad draw bridges that
 cross through the area that have previously been off limits to the public. 
 
  The park and bike path improvements to the Union Ship Canal may finally get
 underway over the summer of 2009. The canal was originally constructed by a
 partnership between the Buffalo & Susquehanna Rail Road and the Pennsylvania
 Rail Road around 1903 to bring marine transportation via Great Lakes vessels
 to their adjoined raw materials docks surrounding the property. This land was
 originally a swampy bog dating back to ancient times that was back filled with
 various materials to construct the plant. An original set of two blast
 furnaces, owned by the Buffalo & Susquehanna Iron Company were eventually
 complimented by two additional, higher capacity furnaces when the plant
 reached full production with nearly 800 workers employed there. The South side
 of the property went through ownership changes throughout the years,
 eventually being called Buffalo Union Furnace Company, and then Hanna Furnace.
 Shenango Steel got involved on the East side of the canal when they built a
 ingot mould making facility there in the 1950’s. Many years of industrial
 pollution and illegal scrapping activity have left the entire area loaded with
 hazardous wastes that are only now being cleaned up in stages due to the
 extreme costs involved in such a large scale operation. Initial site work to
 remediate left over industrial contamination has been funded and planned out
 by the New York State DEC as of early June. The final OK was to be given by
 July with contractor bidding to follow.  The first phase will involve the
 treatment of furnace ash and other hazardous material along the old
 Pennsylvania Rail Road Ore Dock on the North side of the canal. These
 substances were deposited along the length of the old ore storage area there
 after Hanna Furnace bought this section of land from the railroad in 1960.
 Deposits are listed on the DEC web site to be up to six feet deep and covering
 many acres in that area. It is unknown at this time whether the materials will
 be removed from the site, or covered and capped. Boring samples revealed the
 fact that major filling was done to the old bog in an effort to level the land
 during the first stages of construction in the early 1900’s and then over the
 years, more material was deposited over this initial fill as heavy industry
 flourished there. These borings are like a time capsule showing a layer of
 mixed contamination at the top, followed by the first backfill further down
 including sand, slag, and stone, then the swamp material which lays on top of
 some clay before reaching all the way down to shale and bedrock such as that
 seen in the ancient outcroppings near Hamburg Beach from the very formation of
 the Great Lakes. A large amount of assorted garbage remains around the area
 including buried rail road tracks, demolition debris, and household waste
 dumped by trespassers to the site. The plans shown on line involve debris
 removal, clearing and flattening of the land around the canal, installation of
 a fabric barrier over the contaminated soil, and then clean fill to top off
 the entire park around the water.  Sewers located throughout the property have
 also become contaminated with ground water that is flowing into the canal and
 these pipes may have to be dug up, or at least sealed off. Wastes located in
 the sediment, under water, on the bottom of the canal bed itself may also have
 to be covered and capped. There is also quite a bit of debris in the canal as
 well including stolen vehicles and the remains of some of the old timber crib
 dock walls that have rotted out and fallen into the water. The cars will need
 to be removed and the old dock walls leveled out, possibly by filling in and
 smoothing out the bottom surface with sand. This major effort is needed to
 make the ground, water, and air safe for the public to be able to use the land
 without coming in contact with dangerous materials. The second phase will then
 involve the installation of public access amenities including landscaping,
 bike trails, a footbridge, a boardwalk, vehicle parking, and fishing areas.  
  

-BW

6-2 I took a ride past the old molasses plant on Katherine St. today and
 noticed some unusual activity. The rusty storage tanks there were being cut up
 and a large amount of overgrowth has been cleared from the property. There
 were a few small tender type vessels tied up along the former Union Furnace
 Company slip that runs through the middle of the property. I believe I have
 seen these particular boats before, previously parked at BIDCO's former
 shipyard on the Buffalo River off Ganson St. I have the distinct feeling that
 someone, possibly BIDCO may be cleaning up the site for a future use of some
 kind. This area off Katherine St. was mentioned years ago in the Buffalo News
 back when BIDCO was moving from their original location on Hopkins St. in
 South Buffalo to their Buffalo Shipyard. After the Buffalo Shipyard ceased
 operating a few years ago, BIDCO has been working out of an industrial park on
 Grand Island. This may be their re-entry attempt into the maritime
 construction industry, but I'm just guessing at this point. The old molasses
 plant property has everything they had at the Buffalo Shipyard property, but
 with a lot more slip space due to the former Union Furnace Company ore dock on
 the Buffalo River. Rail access is also nearby, along with a local Thruway
 connection for truck transport. This air photo shows the property as an
 overgrown field in the center of the image bordered by the rusty storage tanks
 to the South, Katherine St. to the East, Kleeman Bulk Transit/Great Lakes
 Towing to the North, and the slip to the West. I'm not sure if the narrow
 strip of overgrown land to the West side of the slip is theirs or Irish
 Propane's. It should be interesting to see how this plays out. This property
 was once part of the Union Furnace Company's iron making facilities, and also
 the site of Buffalo's first Blast Furnace. 
 
http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTSN&cp=42.861183~-
 78.859584&style=a&lvl=18&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

6-11 Paul reports the A-corn departing General Mills Frontier Elevator at
 5:30PM on the 11th. 

6-9 Paul spotted the A-Corn sitting on the hook off Buffalo, possibly waiting
 for the haze to clear around 3:30 PM this afternoon. He then saw it come in
 around 5:30 PM for Generous Mills.

6-5   The Great Lakes first Articulated Tug Barge Unit, the Michigan-Great
 Lakes transited downbound on the Welland Canal this afternoon. I'm not
 certain, but I *think* this particular pair are somewhat rare there, since I
 don't recall them coming this far East very much. 

  The Sam Laud was at mid-lake and heading for Buffalo around mid-afternoon,
 they will probably make port this evening, or at least just after nightfall. 

6-5  The Adam E Cornelius should be departing Big D for Buffalo some time
 today, with a Sunday or Monday arrival for Generous Mills.

  The Sam Laud is on her way to Lackawanna with stone at this time.

  The John J Boland was here with coal on the 4th at the Gateway Trade Center,
 having departed around 4PM. 

6-1 Paul spotted the "Champ" backing her barge out of the river at about 11:30
 PM on the night of May 31st.

5-31 The Samuel de Champlain-Innovation tug-barge unit arrived this afternoon
 around 4:30 PM for the LaFarge Cement Plant. They will only be in port for a
 few hours to unload a partial cargo and then depart tonight sometime. I also
 noticed the new schooner Spirit of Buffalo cruising the Outer Harbor around 3PM.  

5-26 Paul spotted Grande Mariner departing at 6PM. This may be the same vessel
 I overheard talking to the Seaway at that time, on the South Shore Course for
 Cleveland, but I'm not sure. The Rebecca Lynn also takes the same route when
 leaving Buffalo. 

  The schooner SPIRT OF BUFFALO arrived at the Commercial Slip around 2PM on
 May 16th becoming the first vessel to tie up there since it was recently
 excavated and rewatered after having been filled in for nearly half a century.
 She is small, but with that being said, it sure is nice to see a sailing ship
 call Buffalo her home port again, especially in such a historic setting as the
 Erie Canal Harbor. When standing pier side at the site, it doesn’t take much
 imagination to be transported back in time and see the waterfront through the
 mind’s eye the way it must have been back in the olden days. 

5-20 The Canadian Enterprise is inbound for the Buffalo South Entrance Channel
 and headed for the Lackawanna Ship Canal at 9:30 PM this evening. 

  Either the Grande Mariner or the Niagara Price was in port today,
 departing around 6:15 PM, right behind the Rebecca Lynn and her barge via the North Entrance. 

5-13 Paul spotted the Rebecca Lynn & her barge A-397 heading out at 5:15PM on the 12th.

Charley spotted an unknown stone boat at Gateway on the morning of the 12th.

Paul spotted the Maumee coming in around 11PM on the 11th, probably for the
 Sand Products Landing on the City Ship Canal?

5-11 Paul also spotted this unusual Canadian boat here in Buffalo today. Not
 sure what they're up to.
 
 http://myweb.dal.ca/kelley/SLEIWEX/gallery/fieldwork2004/large/P9020205.JPG

5-10 Paul spotted the Rebecca Lynn-A-397 downbound on the Black Rock Canal at
 about 12 Noon today and he also noticed the A.E. Cornelius departing General
 Mills around 10:30 PM last night.

5-10 @ 5PM The Cornelius was still unloading at General Mills at 5PM. She was
 only drawing 4 feet at the bow, and just slightly more aft so I would say that
 she should be ready to depart this evening. 

  I noticed the American Mariner backed all the way up the Lackawanna Ship
 Canal  and unloading coal at the Gateway Trade Center this afternoon.

  It's been a while since two American Steamship boats were here at the same time.

The mystery boat at the Gateway Trade Terminal on the morning of the 6th could
 have been the Joyce L VanEnkervort and her barge Great Lakes Trader. Charley
 seemed to think that this was the one he saw, and Scott from the Info Search
 Page confirmed it. This would be her first trip to Buffalo that I know of.

5-8 Dave R. spotted the Rebecca Lynn & her barge headed down the Black Rock
 Canal at 2 PM on the 7th. Charley then saw her at the Noco Product Terminal later that night.  

5-6 Paul spotted the English River departing at 5PM tonight. 

Charley spotted an unknown, red hulled boat at the Gateway Trade Terminal in
 Lackawanna this morning, it departed at 9AM, anyone know what it was?

  5-7: 
 It appears that the Adam E. Cornelius is loading wheat and is expected to depart Duluth   Wed.  morning for Buffalo.-Charles H.

5-5 6PM: 
 One of the La Farge ships is about to enter the North Entrance, looks  
 like English River.The Washington is assisting for a stern first trip up the creek. 

 5-4:
 The Rebecca Lynn was pushing her barge out of the North Entrance at 2:30pm. Once  out in the lake, Rebecca Lynn went into the pull mode.

4-26 The Herbert C Jackson arrived at 7PM this evening for the ADM Standard
 Elevator. She tied up at the dock around 8:30 PM after a tow upriver by the
 tug Washington. She will be unloading all night and should depart some time
 around 1PM on Monday the 27th.

4-25 The Adam E Cornelius departed for Stoneport, MI at 7PM this evening. The
 captain called into the Seaway with an ETA for C.I.P. Long Point of 1:45 AM on
 the morning of Sunday the 26th.

4-24  I got a report in today that the Herbert C Jackson is currently loading
 at the Cennex Harvest States Elevator in Duluth, hopefuly with her first of
 many grain cargos for Buffalo. 

  I spotted the Adam E Cornelius at the General Mills Frontier Elevator this
 morning with the first grain cargo of the year. I returned this evening to
 find her draft readings at 20 feet. I would guess that they will be in port
 overnight and leave on the 25th. 

4-21 Dave & Charley report the Adam E Cornelius loading in Duluth, possible
 trip with grain to Buffalo. 

I got this from Ken today:

   As far as I know, our first vessel of the year is heading in right now.

I see LaFarge's "English River" heading into the inner harbor. She was met by    the a 
  tug and was pulled in aft-end first up the Buffalo River.-Ken

  New sailing ship bound for Buffalo:

  http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/639123.html

  Last line should be dated "3-27", not "3-37".

3-37 Here's a short article on the Niagara River Ice Boom:

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/619552.html

  Any boats possibly headed for Buffalo at the start of the season will need an
 ice breaker escort for heavy ice conditions.

  

  For those interested in the Michigan St. Bridge Collapse of 1959, the new
 Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society Newsletter has a great article with
 excellent rare photos & maps in the Jan/Feb issue.

3-1   While driving along the waterfront I noticed large piles of windrowed ice
 outside the Buffalo breakwall. There were also long pressure ridges lined up
 from North to South just outside the harbor. Any vessel movements into the
 Port of Buffalo in the near future will require ice breaker assistance for
 heavy ice conditions.

2-15 The Buffalo River has flushed itself of all the heavy ice since the Cotter
 made her runs last week. The lakefront is another story entirely. Heavy wind
 rowed ice is piled up outside the Buffalo Breakwall to a height of at least 20
 to possibly 30 feet above the lake level. The highest peaks appear to be
 roughly twice the height of the Outer Harbor Seawall.  

  Additional thoughts on the Cotter & the ice:

  The Cotter’s ice breaking operations helped alleviate the pressure forming
 downriver and a succession of events over the next 24 hours would result
 directly from her actions. Massive ice jams in the Leydecker Rd. area of West
 Seneca finally broke through on the 11th, sending huge flows downstream. The
 ice was so thick that the Stevenson St. Bridge in South Buffalo over Caz Creek
 had to be closed for fear of damage. Since the Cotter had been out the day
 before, none of the ice was held up for very long and most of it kept flowing
 to the river previously cleared by the fireboat. 

02-12    The firetug Cotter made her way up the Buffalo River for an ice
 breaking mission at 8AM on the 10th to the Buckeye Product Terminal. This dock
 is located at the head of navigation just below the old DL&W draw bridge
 between Elk St. and South Park Avenue, roughly 6 miles from the lake. Heavy
 ice conditions above the South Park Lift Bridge kept the Cotter busy for most
 of the morning. This section of the river is near the outlet of Cazenovia
 Creek where ice jams had been forming for a day or so. The fireboat was also
 held up at the CSX Railroad's C.P. Draw bridge for about an hour due to train
 traffic and she did not return to her Michigan St. dock until 3PM. 

02-11 I noticed a broken track in the ice at the Ohio St. Bridge yesterday so
 the firetug Cotter must have made a trip up the river either on the 9th or
 tenth. Did anyone happen to notice when and how far up the river she went?

2-8 The Firetug Edward M Cotter made an ice breaking trip down the Buffalo
 River on the 6th. She opened the channel from her dock at the Michigan St.
 Bridge out to the North Entrance. I would assume that she will need to make
 the trip upriver some time this week due to the recent thaw to prevent
 flooding in South Buffalo.
  There was a nice shot of her in the Buffalo News on 6th in the local news section. 

02-06 I finally got to the bottom of the story on the Mackinaw & her trip to
 Buffalo early last week. She was coming off of a ship assist mission from
 Detroit into Nanticoke and they stopped here for a crew rest period before
 heading back up the lake late on the morning of the 26th of January. 

1-30 The USCG Cutter Mackinaw was here on Monday the 26th, apparently to break
 ice in the Buffalo River for some sort of barge movement. I have no clue who's
 barge needed to be moved or where at this time, but the Mac was in and out of
 town in a few hours that morning and from this photo it seems that she must
 have only made a quick run up and down, but I have no idea of exactly where
 she broke ice.
 
http://www.boatnerd.com/news/newsthumbs/images-09-1/1-USCGC-Mackinaw-1-26-09-cp.jpg

  Excellent article in today's news on the 1959 Michigan St. Bridge disaster:

  http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/554448.html

1-1 Well, another year has come & gone again. Thanks for all the good reports
 and I look forward to more in the new season coming in the Spring. 
 
I have some late season action to report today.
 
 The CSL Assiniboine was taking on coal at the Gateway Trade Terminal at 1PM on January 1st. 

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