UPDATE 7 P.M. WEDNESDAY: Stewart J. Cort finally made her way through the ice in the late afternoon and has arrived at the locks. James R. Barker is below the Mud Lake junction buoy heading into the upbound channel with two USCG cutters ahead of her. She may stop in the channel for the night. Downbound Mesabi Miner is having difficulty below the Rock Cut at Moon Island. CSL Laurentian and Algoma Sault are stopped in the Nine Mile Anchorage. There are now six upbound vessels stopped in the Pot Bay anchorage above DeTour.
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UPDATE 1:45 P.M.. WEDNESDAY: Thanks to dedicated efforts by U.S. Coast Guard cutters, the Stewart J. Cort is finally through the ice behind Neebish Island, however she still having difficulties in the channel north of the island. Interlake Steamship fleetmate Mesabi Miner is downbound out of the locks and plans to continue at least as far as Mud Lake.
UPDATE 11 A.M. WEDNESDAY: Although some progress was made Wednesday morning, the Cort is again beset. USCG Neah Bay and Biscayne Bay are on the scene working with the Cort. All upbound traffic is still at a standstill. Meanwhile, gale warnings have been issued for eastern Lake Superior though Thursday morning, which is bound to make a difficult situation worse. On the downbound side, Mesabi Miner was at the locks getting ready to pass through followed by CSL Laurentien.
ORIGINAL REPORT: ST. MARYS RIVER – Ice problems in the vicinity of the Stribling Point turn in the upbound channel behind Neebish Island proved too much for the Stewart J. Cort for the second day in a row. Despite icebreaker assistance, she was unable to make the turn and, as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, reported she was hove to in the ice until morning with the nearby USCG Mobile Bay echoing the same status. Until the Cort gets going, all upbound traffic is at a standstill. That includes James R. Barker, Algoma Guardian, Wilfred Sykes, the saltwater vessel Belzitza (bound for the Soo, ON, Export Dock) and tug Victory/barge Maumee, which are all stopped above DeTour. Downbound traffic was moving on Tuesday, with the Edwin H. Gott and CSL St. Laurent in the lower river as night fell, with the Paul R. Tregurtha in the locks and Rt. Hon, Paul J. Martin coming down behind her. Five vessels were stopped in the upper river Tuesday night and may not move until morning. One vessel did pass upbound on Tuesday. The new U.S. Army Corps of Enginners tug R.J. Pearce was allowed to proceed up the downbound channel. The Neebish Island ferry is still out of service due to the ice.
New Corps tug R.J. Pearce headed up the downbound channel Tuesday at Barbeau, MI. [Neebish Island Leaflet]
Paul R. Tregurtha above the Poe Lock on Tuesday. [Cody Ames]
