Boatnerd News
Boatnerd News February 7, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
Polsteam adds Polsteam Wadag to its growing Laker-Class fleet list
SZCZECIN, POLAND – The Polish Steamship Co. (Polsteam) has added another vessel to its growing fleet of Laker-Class vessels.
The newest addition is the Polsteam Wadag IMO 1027196 built in 2026 at Shanhaiguan, Quinhungdao, China. Polsteam Wadag becomes the 10th member of Polsteam’s Laker-Class fleet. The fleet’s renewal program began in 2024 with the addition of the Polsteam Dabie.
Each of the 10 new vessels are 199.99 meters or 656 feet in length and 23.700 meters or 78 feet in width. The first three vessels in the series have three deck mounted cranes for loading and unloading bulk cargoes, whereas the remaining seven members of the series have four deck- mounted cranes.
The 10 member Polsteam Laker-Class series built in 2024 are Polsteam Dabie IMO 9971850, Polsteam Koprowo IMO 9971862, Polsteam Lebsko IMO 9971874 and Polsteam Pile IMO 9971886. In 2025, three more vessels joined the series, Polsteam Okra IMO 9984819, Polsteam Rudno IMO 9984821 and Polsteam Insko IMO 9984833.
Also in 2025, Polsteam added the Polsteam Weltyn IMO 9984845 built in 2025 and the Polsteam Wigry IMO 1027184. These two new vessels have yet to make any inland voyages to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway but are expected to arrive sometime in 2026, as is the Polsteam Wadag.
The new vessels will be replacing older vessels in the Polsteam Laker-Class fleet. The new ships are named after lakes in Poland.
[Denny Dushane]
2 days left to vote for National Museum of the Great Lakes
in USA Today poll
All locked up: winter maintenance efforts inside the Soo Locks
Abby LaForest, Ben Raymond
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (WBUP/WJMN) — The Soo Locks have closed to marine traffic for their annual maintenance period, but the critical Great Lakes shipping gateway remains a hub of activity as engineers and technicians work to prepare the massive structures for another shipping season.
While the locks are open, chambers and gates assist traveling ships by raising and lowering the boats between the levels of Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Currently, two locks are in operation during the navigation season – the MacArthur Lock and the Poe Lock – to help ships navigate the 21-foot drop along the St. Marys River to travel between the upper and lower Great Lakes.
The locks typically shut down for 10 weeks between January and March, allowing maintenance crews to perform essential repairs and upgrades on the infrastructure that enables ships carrying iron ore and other materials to navigate between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes.
The maintenance work presents unique challenges due to the age and scale of the facility, according to operations officials. The locks feature construction dating back to the 1940s and 1960s, requiring specialized expertise and custom-manufactured components.
“We have 1960s and 1940s era construction, different types of materials, everything here. You can kind of think of it as it’s custom. This is not something that you can just go to the store and buy typically to, to fix or replace,” said LeighAnn Ryckeghem, Operations Manager for the Soo Locks. “So it does take like I said, it takes a lot of skilled, skilled workers, unique materials and that kind of thing are large components being the size and scale of, of this type of facility as well.”
Ryckeghem explained that planning for winter maintenance is a massive strategic effort, requiring the work of engineers and skilled trades from every area to determine replacement and repair priorities.
“It’s really important to do this type of maintenance during the non-navigation season, which is that ten-week shutdown we have between January 16th and March 25th. We start planning immediately as soon as we open. We’ll start looking at what worked well, what didn’t go well, and then what we need to prioritize for the following year,” said Ryckeghem. “It’s aging infrastructure, so it’s something that does take delicate time and attention to make sure we maintain (it) appropriately.”
The complexity extends beyond visible repairs, Ryckeghem noted, with crews working on sophisticated technology systems that keep the locks operational throughout the shipping season.
“There’s a lot going on and sometimes it’s just not visible, but very unique types of technology that we use too,” she said.
While maintenance crews focus on the existing infrastructure, construction continues on a new lock that represents a significant investment in the facility’s future. The project, which began in 2020, reached its halfway point this past August, marking a major milestone in the multi-year effort to modernize the critical shipping channel.
Taking great responsibility and pride in her role as the Operations Manager, Rychkeghem said that ensuring everyone can conduct their jobs safely during this maintenance period is top priority.
“As the operations manager, I get to make sure that everybody here is able to do their job safely, and that they have the right equipment, tools and protective gear to be able to do that,” she included. “Obviously in the winter, it’s harsh conditions, so we make sure that we give time for proper safety training. We make sure that they have all of the adequate resources to do their jobs efficiently and safely. The rewarding part is seeing the actual work get done and the pride that everybody takes in completing that work.”
The public will have an opportunity to witness the return of shipping activity when the locks reopen for the season. Officials have scheduled opening day for the end of March, when visitors will be invited to observe the first ships of the year transit through the massive structures.
The Poe Lock is set to reopen on March 25th for shipping traffic. For more information about the Soo Locks, please visit some of the following websites:
[My UP now.com]
For full story and video click link: https://www.myupnow.com/news/all-locked-up-winter-maintenance-efforts-inside-the-soo-locks/article_ca664e06-372d-4c9c-93a2-3a8871957ac 1.html
Boatnerd News February 6, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
Manitowoc-built crane stops in San Diego
SAN DIEGO, CA – Portal Crane 70, the first of seven 175-ton heavy-lift portal cranes procured under a $294-million Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic contract, made a stop in San Diego during its transit from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Washington, Feb. 4.
The crane is a major component of the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program’s line of effort to modernize industrial plant equipment at the Navy’s four government owned and operated shipyards. The crane will lift shop stores, parts and materials that are critical to maintain and modernize ships and submarines and return them to the fleet, including radar arrays and antennas at extreme elevations and increasingly heavy propeller shafts at the lowest levels of the shipyard’s dry docks.
[U.S. Navy]
Mackinaw relieves ice jam so Sugar Island ferry can run
SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – USCG icebreaker Mackinaw arrived in the Soo Thursday to relieve ice pressure that has been hampering runs by the Sugar Island II ferry. Broken harbor ice from the upbound passage of a tanker to Soo, ON, caused ice to block the ferry lane.
The tanker Algocanada is scheduled to go back downriver Friday, which would also disrupt the ice. tomorrow sometime, so please be aware this could bring some ice
Port of Duluth-Superior saw lowest tonnage since 1938
DULUTH, MN – Cargo shipments at the Port of Duluth-Superior slumped last year due to headwinds driven by unfavorable market trends, shifting trade lanes and President Donald Trump’s trade war.
The amount of cargo moved through the port dropped to 25.3 million tons, declining 14.6% from 2024. That’s the lowest tonnage shipped through the port since 1938, according to season end figures released Friday by the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
Canadian trade dropped 41% across all cargoes, and overseas trade fell 30% to its lowest level since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959. The amount of grain moving through the port also dropped to roughly 560,000 tons, the lowest level seen since 1890.
The drop in iron ore shipments played a significant role in the overall decline of cargo at the port.
Iron ore accounts for more than half the port’s cargo every year, with nearly 19.4 million tons transported in 2024. But shipments dropped 15% to 16.5 million tons last year. A 2.5 million-ton drop in iron ore exports to Canada made up most of the decline amid President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
The port faced challenges at the season’s outset, said Kevin Beardsley, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
“Mines were being idled in the spring before we even started,” Beardsley said. “The auto industry and steelmaking industry were already in a challenging position.”
The U.S. auto industry struggled with the onset of Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum, with billions of dollars in losses. The industry heavily relies on iron ore from mines on Minnesota’s Iron Range, and Cleveland-Cliffs idled two mines there early last year.
In December, Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario also announced it was shutting down its blast furnace and coke-making operations as Trump’s 50% tariff on steel imports limited the company’s access to the U.S. market.
Iron ore exports from the Port of Duluth-Superior went to the facility among others to be refined into steel, but port authority officials say they don’t know how much of the 2.5 million-ton drop would’ve gone there.
Canada gets a lot of its iron ore from the Twin Ports, the ore coming from Minnesota’s Iron Range, said Daniel Rust, professor of transportation and logistics management at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
“When trade wars break out, I believe this is one of those casualties,” Rust said.
A decision by an agribusiness firm also led to shipping declines.
Earlier in the year, the global agribusiness firm CHS, Inc. announced it was closing the port’s largest grain terminal in Superior by the end of August after almost a century in operation. Rust said it was a major blow for grain exports, noting CHS handled most of the port’s grain volume.
Once they stopped, it’s no surprise that those numbers are much lower than they would have been if CHS had continued to operate that facility,” Rust said.
Port authority officials said former importers of grain like Russia are now competing with the Twin Ports. Rust added it makes more economic sense for CHS to move grain by rail for shipment on larger vessels at the Gulf Coast and Pacific Northwest.
As grain shipments fell, the amount of coal shipped also dropped to 4.7 million tons.
“It is all related to changing energy trends and policies,” Jayson Hron, the port authority’s spokesperson, said.
Late last fall, Midwest Energy Resources Company announced the closure of its coal terminal in Superior, saying it would not renew its 50-year lease at the end of June. The move comes as utilities have shifted away from coal-fired power plants toward natural gas, wind and solar. midwest
Coal shipments reached a record 22 million short tons in 2008 or roughly half the port’s total tonnage. Since then, they’ve dropped 75%.
One bright spot for the port came from break bulk cargoes, which are usually heavy or oversized goods loaded individually on ships. The port saw a strong season for wind turbine components, and it’s moved 2.6 million freight tons since shipments first began in 2005. C. Reiss Company also opened a new bulk cargo terminal in Superior last year.
Also, Amsterdam-based Spliethoff, which has been offering monthly container shipping service, expanded its service between Duluth and the Mediterranean. Rust said he thinks there’s an opportunity to use that service for other cargoes in the future.
“I would anticipate in years to come that the port will lean into that even more,” Rust said. “Hopefully, we’ll see some growth.”
[Duluth News Tribune]
Boatnerd News February 5, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
U.S.-Flag Shipping on the Great Lakes Down in 2025
CLEVELAND – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) carried 71.3 million tons of cargo in 2025, an 8.9 percent decrease from a year ago. 2025 cargo movement on the Great Lakes was 8.1 percent below the fleet’s 5-year average.
Except for salt shipments, which increased by 4.1 percent, all commodity shipments decreased in 2025. Iron ore shipments were down 10.8 percent from 2024 to 39.1 million tons. Coal cargos declined to 6.5 million tons, a decrease of 12 percent. Limestone shipments of 20.1 million tons were below last year’s shipments by 4.7 percent. Cement cargos saw a decrease of 1 percent, while sand and grain shipments were down 26.5 percent and 13.1 percent, respectively, in 2025.
[See Chart in gallery below]
Boatnerd News February 4, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
Great Lakes ports study inland waterways cargo expansion
The American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA), including members Ports of Indiana, the Illinois International Port District (IIPD), and Port Milwaukee, in partnership with the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS), announced today that they will begin a comprehensive market analysis aimed at expanding cargo movement between the Great Lakes and inland waterways system
Together, the Great Lakes and inland waterways move close to 700 million tons of cargo each year, supporting critical American industries including steel making, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and other cargo. At the intersection of these two systems is one of the most important industrial and freight hubs in the U.S. Despite being two of the world’s busiest inland shipping corridors, only a small percentage of cargo currently moves between the Great Lakes and inland rivers.
The study will examine opportunities to increase waterborne commerce by leveraging this river–lake connection, evaluating market demand, identifying promising cargo flows, and exploring the infrastructure and operational needs required to support greater integration.
“In alignment with President Trump and Transportation Secretary Duffy’s commitment to strengthening U.S. supply chains, we recognize that enhancing the connection between the Great Lakes and our inland waterways is a vital step toward securing America’s big and beautiful economic future,” said Mike McCoshen, GLS administrator. “By improving the flow of goods—especially the exports that power the Heartland—we’re not only boosting economic growth today but reinforcing our nation’s long-term competitiveness for generations to come.”
AGLPA President, Capt. Paul C. LaMarre III, said, “For too long, the connection between the Great Lakes and the Inland Waterways has been an underutilized asset in America’s freight network. This study will help identify the cargoes, markets, and infrastructure needed to make river–lake shipping more efficient and commercially viable. AGLPA and our member ports are committed to a data-driven approach that strengthens maritime commerce and reinforces our region’s vital role in the nation’s supply chains.”
The study’s local match is being provided by the three major Lake Michigan ports in Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. These states account for 65% of the economic activity related to U.S. Great Lakes shipping and also handle millions of tons via river barge moving through the Chicago shipping canal and the Mississippi River system.
“We’re excited to join this unprecedented partnership to explore how we can better connect two of the busiest inland shipping corridors in the world,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock. “Maritime transportation can be further leveraged in the mega region formed by Chicago, Milwaukee, and Northwest Indiana to improve freight transportation, lower emissions, reduce highway congestion, and grow economies throughout the Great Lakes and inland waterways systems.”
“The Port of Chicago already moves more than 13 million tons of cargo through the port,” said Erik Varela, executive director of the IIPD. “Increasing river–lake cargo flows would not only create significant economic opportunity for our region and the country but will also do so in the most energy efficient manner.”
“Port Milwaukee is the northern most approved point on the Great Lakes with access to the Inland River System and plays a key role in serving manufacturers, agribusiness, and distributors across the Upper Midwest,” said Benjamin Timm, port director at Port Milwaukee. “This study will help us identify new ways to move cargo efficiently and strengthen our role in the national freight network.”
Conducted by CPCS Transcom Inc. in collaboration with the AGLPA, GLS, and member ports, the study will identify opportunities to expand cargo movements between barges and lake vessels, assess operational and infrastructure needs, and outline strategies to enhance the efficiency and viability of transloading operations.
Conducted by CPCS Transcom Inc. in collaboration with the AGLPA, GLS, and member ports, the study will identify opportunities to expand cargo movements between barges and lake vessels, assess operational and infrastructure needs, and outline strategies to enhance the efficiency and viability of transloading operations. It will also examine how expanded maritime service could improve supply chain reliability, support key industries, create jobs, and relieve pressure on congested highway corridors.
[Marine Log Staff]
Boatnerd News February 3, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
Last Milwaukee Clipper captain dies at 103
MUSKEGON, MI — Robert Priefer, the last captain of the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper, has died. He was 103. The ship preservation group announced his passing with profound sadness.
He will be deeply missed by every member of the Clipper crew who had the privilege of knowing him, they wrote in a Facebook post. Priefer worked on the ship for over eight decades. Staff say he was instrumental in guiding the ship into the modern era.
When Priefer got a job working aboard the Clipper in 1941, he didn’t truly get off the historic vessel for nearly 30 years. “It’s been part of my family,” said Priefer. The ship is like a step child to me.
Priefer’s assent during his sailing career as quite unique, and in many ways, impossible. His first job aboard the Clipper was as a dishwasher. “I was a Pearl Diver’ Priefer joked. “That’s what the ship’s dishwashers were called back then.”
Every single year Priefer came back to work on the Clipper, he got a promotion. “I never wanted to be a sailor, but my father and brothers were in the shipping industry so it became my calling, too.”
“It was a big deal,” Priefer said.”Back in those days, a trip from Muskegon to Milwaukee was like going from Muskegon to the Caribbean. It was a long distance for a lot of people.”
Priefer was the ship’s captain during its last decade of operation. As one might imagine, he has many memorable stories to share.
“There were times when bad weather arose,” Priefer recalled. “I remember one time there was something coming out of the northeast, the sea was getting rougher, and [the Clipper] dug her nose into a big swell and we took on a couple tons of water.”
‘When you have that much water coming down a confined space, it’s a problem. It poured into the portholes and flooded the club lounge” he said.
With a smirk, Captain Priefer then said, “You don’t want to be a heavy weatherman; they’re all on the bottom of the lake.”
The captain also remembers a couple times when he had to get on the Clipper’s speaker system and yell, “Overboard.” “We had a gal onboard who jumped over the side,” Priefer recalls. “I remember turning the Clipper around and having crewmembers have to go fish her out of the water.”
Priefer added that they managed to rescue her with a lifeboat, got her back onboard, then got back underway to the destination.
Another anecdotal story Captain Priefer likes to share is about when the Clipper’s owner’s dog jumped over the side and into the lake.
“One of my crew notified me that something went overboard,” Priefer said. “We didn’t know what it was, but protocol requires us to turn around and check it out.
“They’d eventually see something splashing in the water and realized it was a dog. “Here’s this dog paddling for Michigan,” Priefer joked. “I didn’t think he’d make it.” Once again, Captain Priefer had to deploy crewmembers aboard a lifeboat.
“The lifeboat was so high out of the water, they couldn’t reach the dog to get him into the boat, so the third mate had to jump into the water, and that allowed the dog to climb right up his back and into the lifeboat.”
So, we saved the dog but almost drowned the third mate.’
[WZZM 13]
Trump’s trade war took a toll on shipments in the Twin Ports last year
By Danielle Kaeding
Cargo shipments at the Port of Duluth-Superior slumped last year due to headwinds driven by unfavorable market trends, shifting trade lanes and President Donald Trump’s trade war.
The amount of cargo moved through the port dropped to 25.3 million tons, declining 14.6 percent from 2024. That’s the lowest tonnage shipped through the port since 1938, according to season end figures released Friday by the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
Canadian trade dropped 41 percent across all cargoes, and overseas trade fell 30 percent to its lowest level since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959. The amount of grain moving through the port also dropped to roughly 560,000 tons, the lowest level seen since 1890.
The drop in iron ore shipments played a significant role in the overall decline of cargo at the port.
Iron ore accounts for more than half the port’s cargo every year, with nearly 19.4 million tons transported in 2024. But shipments dropped 15 percent to 16.5 million tons last year. A 2.5 million-ton drop in iron ore exports to Canada made up most of the decline amid President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
The port faced challenges at the season’s outset, said Kevin Beardsley, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
“Mines were being idled in the spring before we even started,” Beardsley said. “The auto industry and steelmaking industry were already in a challenging position.”
The U.S. auto industry struggled with the onset of Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum, with billions of dollars in losses. The industry heavily relies on iron ore from mines on Minnesota’s Iron Range, and Cleveland-Cliffs idled two mines there early last year.
In December, Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario also announced it was shutting down its blast furnace and coke-making operations as Trump’s 50 percent tariff on steel imports limited the company’s access to the U.S. market.
Iron ore exports from the Port of Duluth-Superior went to the facility among others to be refined into steel, but port authority officials say they don’t know how much of the 2.5 million-ton drop would’ve gone there.
Canada gets a lot of its iron ore from the Twin Ports, the ore coming from Minnesota’s Iron Range, said Daniel Rust, professor of transportation and logistics management at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
“When trade wars break out, I believe this is one of those casualties,” Rust said.
A decision by an agribusiness firm also led to shipping declines.
Earlier in the year, the global agribusiness firm CHS, Inc. announced it was closing the port’s largest grain terminal in Superior by the end of August after almost a century in operation. Rust said it was a major blow for grain exports, noting CHS handled most of the port’s grain volume.
Once they stopped, it’s no surprise that those numbers are much lower than they would have been if CHS had continued to operate that facility,” Rust said.
Port authority officials said former importers of grain like Russia are now competing with the Twin Ports. Rust added it makes more economic sense for CHS to move grain by rail for shipment on larger vessels at the Gulf Coast and Pacific Northwest.
As grain shipments fell, the amount of coal shipped also dropped to 4.7 million tons.
“It is all related to changing energy trends and policies,” Jayson Hron, the port authority’s spokesperson, said.
Late last fall, Midwest Energy Resources Company announced the closure of its coal terminal in Superior after nearly 50 years, saying it would not renew its 50-year lease at the end of June. The move comes as utilities have shifted away from coal-fired power plants toward natural gas, wind and solar.
Coal shipments reached a record 22 million short tons in 2008 or roughly half the port’s total tonnage. Since then, they’ve dropped 75 percent.
One bright spot for the port came from break bulk cargoes, which are usually heavy or oversized goods loaded individually on ships. The port saw a strong season for wind turbine components, and it’s moved 2.6 million freight tons since shipments first began in 2005. C. Reiss Company also opened a new bulk cargo terminal in Superior last year.
Also, Amsterdam-based Spliethoff, which has been offering monthly container shipping service, expanded its service between Duluth and the Mediterranean. Rust said he thinks there’s an opportunity to use that service for other cargoes in the future.
“I would anticipate in years to come that the port will lean into that even more,” Rust said. “Hopefully, we’ll see some growth.”
[WPR]
Boatnerd News February 2, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
Lakers convey crucial commodity to salt-starved Escanaba
ESCANABA, MI – Last week, the Canadian freighter Algoma Intrepid,
accompanied by an icebreaking tug, chugged into Little Bay de Noc and
delivered a massive load of salt to an Escanaba dock.
The buzz about the impending arrival of the boats caused excitement in
the area. For one, with a nearly fully-frozen bay, some ice anglers
were disgruntled that their activities were being disrupted. For
another, a visit from a 650-foot-long freighter is worth recognizing.
The deepwater port of Escanaba used to see more shipping traffic when
the town was host to multiple ore docks and various industries boomed.
The harbor had six ore docks at one time, and in the 1980s, Escanaba
was the busiest iron port in the world. Ore was shipped by rail to
Escanaba from multiple mines in the region and then loaded onto boats
for delivery elsewhere. Lumber and coal were heavily trafficked, too.
In modern day, the commodities and demand have changed. The mines that
flourished a century ago are closed. Canadian National Railroad
stopped using Escanaba’s last iron ore dock in 2017.
But the age of the freighter is not done.
The behemoths that are lake freighters still shuttle cargo across the
Great Lakes, enthralling fans who track, watch and photograph the
massive vessels. Ships are still an essential form of commercial
transport.
One company in particular has made a business of shipping resources in
bulk in these waters for close to century and a half. It was their
dock in Escanaba that received the 19,000-net-ton delivery of rock
salt from Goderich, Ont. on Jan. 23.
The C. Reiss Coal Company was founded in Sheboygan, Wis. by German
immigrant Clemens Reiss in 1880. In the early days of the company,
shipments were transported by schooner. Reiss dealt in coal, wood,
salt, and building materials. For a while, a subsidiary called the
Reiss Steamship Company also operated in the area.
The company has long had docks in Escanaba; in 1913, an addition was
built onto the existing Reiss coal dock in Esky.
About 50,000 tons of coal are handled at the present Escanaba coal
dock owned by the the business now known as The C. Reiss Company,
relayed CEO Keith Haselhoff. The salt dock near the mouth of the
Escanaba River — which is where the Algoma Intrepid delivered its
enormous load last Friday — handles approximately 100,000 tons of road
salt every year, weather-dependent, he said.
C. Reiss also has locations in Duluth, Minn.; Superior, Wis.; Ashland,
Wis.; Green Bay, Wis.; and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
The Algoma Intrepid, a six-year-old self-discharging bulk carrier
built in Croatia, flies under the Canadian flag. Owned by the Algoma
Central Corporation, it belongs to the Equinox class and has a
carrying capacity of 25,019 tons deadweight. The freighter frequents
Goderich, Ont. — home to the largest underground salt mine in the
world.
Goderich had been the Intrepid’s previous stop before Escanaba. There,
salt is mined by a customer of the C. Reiss Company.
The delivery that reached Escanaba on Jan. 23 was 19,000 net tons of
rock salt ready to hit roads.
At the dock, “we facilitate the vessel being offloaded, we maintain
the piles in accordance with all rules, laws, and regulations, and
then we load the trucks with the salt for delivery to the customer’s
storage building,” said Haselhoff. “Most of the salt is contracted to
go to municipalities including the state, counties, townships, and
cities. This salt makes it throughout much of the Upper Peninsula as
far west as Ironwood, east to Seney and north to Copper Harbor.”
As the area is currently in the midst of a frigid winter and the lakes
are becoming more and more solid by the day, the ship did not travel
alone along its icy route. A series of cutters have been accompanying
the Intrepid and other freighters, helping to forge paths and clear
buildup.
As the monstrous freighter unloaded mountains of salt at the Reiss
dock in Escanaba, the Jimmy L danced at its side, reminiscent of a
remora on a shark.
A 110-foot icebreaking tug, the Jimmy L is no small fish, though. It
was built in 1939 and served the U.S. Coast Guard under the name
Naugatuck for many years. It was the first Coast Guard vessel to
arrive on scene to search for the Edmund Fitzgerald after the fateful
storm of November 1975.
After being decommissioned in ’79, the Naugatuck became the Timmy B
for about 15 years. The tug has been the Jimmy L since 1994 and calls
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. home.
Other icebreakers, both private and Coast Guard vessels, also assisted
in escorting the Intrepid.
The Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay, also out of Sturgeon Bay, was
another big help on this part of Lake Michigan.
A couple days later, after the Intrepid departed Escanaba and set off
once again for Goderich, the USCGC Mackinaw helped it get through a
frozen passage near Beaver Island.
“The cutter arrived on the scene and made passes through the
surrounding ice to free the vessel and assist it back to navigable
waters. … This mission was completed in support of Operation Taconite,
a Great Lakes ice-breaking mission focused on safeguarding lives while
ensuring the efficient movement of vessels during the icy conditions,”
wrote the Coast Guard on the morning of Jan. 25.
After its most recent stop in Goderich on Lake Huron, the Intrepid set
off on another journey on the morning of Jan. 30 and is now bound for
Milwaukee, where it was due to arrive on Feb. 2.
[Escanaba Daily Press]
Boatnerd News January 31, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
Algoma Central tankers on the move Friday
Despite blistering cold weather, the Algoma fleet was on the move Friday, this time with a personal escort from the CCG Vincent Massey. They sailed across Lake Erie Thursday and were headed up the Livingstone Channel Friday morning.
Algoterra and Algocanada were bound for Sarnia, while Algoberta is heading to Milwaukee under the command of Capt. Ryan.
All of Algoma’s product tankers are Ice Class 1A vessels.
Ice Class 1A ships are designed to operate in difficult ice conditions, often with the assistance of icebreakers, though they are capable of independent operation in lighter ice. Their hulls are reinforced with high-strength, ductile steel to withstand ice pressure and impact – particularly around the ice belt near the waterline.
While primarily intended for winter navigation in the Baltic Sea, their design makes them well suited for similar, moderately ice-covered, non-Arctic regions. Under the Finnish-Swedish Ice Class system, 1A is one of the highest levels of reinforcement below 1A Super and is often considered roughly equivalent to Polar Class 7 (PC7).
Below 1A are Classes 1B and 1C, which are intended for lighter ice conditions.
[Windsor Aerial Drone Photography]
Boatnerd News January 30, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
Sam Laud’s trip to winter layup slowed by Erie ice
After completing its season of shuttles along the Cuyahoga River, the freighter Sam Laud ship has been heading east toward winter layup in Ashtabula. That journey has been significantly slowed by rapidly thickening Lake Erie ice.
After stopping due to the ice Wednesday night, the ship made some progress Thursday morning after the tug Kimberly Joy was sent overnight from the Detroit River to assist. The two vessels worked together to break ice in short sections and make small eastward runs. However, that effort eventually stalled and both the freighter and the tug got stuck in the ice.
Just before 4 p.m. Thursday the USCG Bristol Bay joined in the effort and by evening the small convoy was moving again. By mid-evening Thursday the Laud had arrived off Ashtabula.
Elsewhere on the lake, the CCG Vincent Massey was leading three tankers, Algoterra, Algoberta and Algocanada, out from behind Long Point. Algoberta is showing a Milwaukee destination while the other two are bound for Sarnia.
Lake Erie remains more than 95% ice covered, with some of the thickest ice located west of the islands in the south-central basin.
NTSB releases Algoma Discovery docking incident report from 2024
The NTSB released the cause of the hard docking of the Algoma Discovery at BNSF Dock 5 in Superior in July 2024 (basically electrical problems leading to lack of engine response).
Download the report here:
Port of Cleveland gets $4.2 million in state grant funding
Cleveland – The Cleveland–Cuyahoga County Port Authority (the Port of Cleveland) has been awarded $4.2 million through the Ohio Maritime Assistance Program (MAP), a competitive Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) grant program supporting strategic maritime infrastructure investments across Ohio.
The funding will support two Port-led construction projects — $2.7 million for the Dock 22 Rehabilitation and Operational Efficiency Project and $1.5 million for the CHEERS Early Action Breakwater Project — both designed to enhance maritime trade, strengthen waterfront infrastructure, and support long-term economic growth in Northeast Ohio.
“These investments strengthen the Port’s ability to move cargo efficiently, support regional economic growth, and extend the life of critical maritime infrastructure,” said Jeff Epstein, President and CEO of the Port of Cleveland. “We’re grateful to ODOT for recognizing the value of these projects and their impact on Ohio’s economy and supply chain.”
MAP provides funding to Ohio’s public port authorities for projects that enhance waterborne freight movement, expand cargo-handling capacity, and support economic development along Lake Erie and the Ohio River. Grants require a 50 percent local match and prioritize projects that deliver measurable transportation and economic benefits.
“Ohio’s waterways are a critical asset to the state’s economy, and the Maritime Assistance Program provides needed funding to improve port infrastructure safety that supports Ohio businesses,” said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn. “This program ensures that our maritime system remains a reliable and efficient link in the global supply chain, driving job creation and long-term prosperity for both our Lake Erie and Ohio River communities.”
CHEERS Early Action Breakwater Project
The Port of Cleveland received $1.5 million in MAP funding to advance an Early Action Project under the CHEERS initiative, building on extensive regional planning and collaboration. The Early Action Project represents a first, targeted phase of the broader CHEERS effort, allowing critical work to move forward while full implementation continues to be developed.
MAP funding will support permitting, final engineering, property acquisition, and construction of the Early Action Project. Additional funding is being pursued through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund and a NOAA Transformational Habitat grant. Combined with $1.5 million from the City of Cleveland, these investments position the project to move efficiently toward construction.
“This funding allows us to move CHEERS from planning into implementation,” said Linda Sternheimer, Senior Vice President of Urban Planning and Engagement. “By advancing an early phase of the project, we can streamline permitting and finalize design, while laying the groundwork for the full, long-term strategy.
”Once complete, CHEERS is expected to create approximately 3.1 million cubic yards of dredged material capacity, extending the useful life of the Port’s Confined Disposal Facilities by an estimated 15 to 20 years, assuming continuation of existing beneficial-use operations.
Dock 22 Rehabilitation and Operational Efficiency Project
The Port also received $2.7 million in MAP funding for the Dock 22 Rehabilitation and Operational Efficiency Project at its General Cargo Terminal. Dock 22 has not undergone significant upgrades since it was originally constructed in 1998, making these improvements critical to maintaining safe, efficient, and competitive port operations.
Planned improvements include:
Construction of a vehicle maintenance and hiring hall annex adjacent to Warehouse A, featuring a two-bay garage for reach stackers and forklifts
Concrete repaving and upgrades to stormwater and electrical infrastructure at Dock 22
Bulkhead reinforcement to strengthen waterfront infrastructure
“These investments address long-standing infrastructure needs at Dock 22 and will significantly improve operational efficiency, safety, and reliability for our workforce and our customers,” said Dave Gutheil, Chief Operating Officer at the Port of Cleveland. “The continual process of modernizing our facilities is essential to supporting current and future cargo demands and will position the port for continued growth.”
These investments build on the Port’s recent momentum, including a $94 million Clean Ports grant and more than $105 million in infrastructure investments made by the Port of Cleveland over the past ten years. Planning and design are expected to continue through 2026, with construction anticipated to begin in early 2028 and conclude by mid-2030.
Boatnerd News January 29, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
Cold persists; Lake Superior ice cover growing rapidly
It was a slow start to the ice-making season on Lake Superior and other Great lakes this winter. Temperatures for the first half of January ran a good 10 degrees warmer than normal across the Great Lakes region.
As of Jan. 14, just 3 percent of the Great Lakes and 6 percent of Lake Superior were covered with ice. Fast-forward to our multiday subzero streak in the past seven days and temperatures have been running more than 10 degrees colder than average across the Great Lakes basin.
As you would expect, that’s making ice quickly across the Great lakes.
Overall ice cover on the Great Lakes has gone form just 3 percent on Jan. 14 to a combined 45 percent in just the past two weeks. Lake Superior has gone from 6 percent ice-covered to 31 percent in the past two weeks. So our persistent subzero cold is making ice quickly now in the Great Lakes.
It’s interesting to note that Lake Erie is almost completely covered by ice now at 94 percent. That limits open water that can make lake-effect snow, effectively shutting down the lake-effect snow season in the lee of Lake Erie.
Ice cover on Lake Superior usually reaches peak in early March. So we still have a long way to go in the lake ice season for the Great Lakes.
The last time Lake Superior was almost completely frozen over was in 2019.
Read the full story and view graphs at this link: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/27/cold-persists-lake-superior-ice-cover-growing-rapidly
BBC Chartering celebrates naming of new LakerMax BBC Bremen
BREMEN, GERMANY – MV BBC Bremen, vessel number eight of a series of 15 LakerMax-type vessels, has been officially christened in the Port of Bremen.
The BBC Bremen cast off immediately after the end of the naming ceremony to continue her voyage to Hamburg and further to Galveston and Houston in the U.S. She and her sisters have been designed to trade inside the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system.
Anitta Schumann, Chartering Manager at the company’s Bremen office since late 2011, acted as the godmother of the vessel. After wishing the BBC Bremen “fair winds and following seas,” the traditional bottle of Champagne broke on the ship’s hull in a ceremony held at BLG’s terminal in Bremen Neustädter Hafen, where the vessel had been loading industry component.
The ceremony was attended by about 100 guests. Kai Stührenberg, State Councillor at Bremen’s Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports and Transformation, Joachim Bothe, Deputy Port Captain of Bremen, and Matthias Magnor, CEO of BLG Logistics were amongst the guests along with numerous representatives from clients, cooperation partners and employees of BBC Chartering and Briese Schiffahrt. Following the christening, Magnus Deppe, chaplain of the Bremen Seamen’s Mission, blessed the ship and its crew.
“I was absolutely delighted to be nominated as godmother, this is a once in a lifetime experience” said Anitta Schumann, godmother of the BBC Bremen, after the christening ceremony. “Even before, I always referred to it as ‘our ship’ (the ship of the Bremen office). I feel very honored and am happy to be even more closely connected to this ship from now on.”
Knut Voigt, Head of the Bremen office of BBC Chartering added: “We have a special relation to Bremen. BBC Chartering was founded here in the city in October 1997. The company then relocated its head office to Leer two years later only to establish a new office here in 2002. We all at the Bremen office of BBC Chartering are very glad to welcome and celebrate “our ship” here in Bremen.
The BBC Bremen had been delivered to Briese Schiffahrt as owners and BBC Chartering as operator in September 2025. The vessel has since performed several successful voyages for BBC Chartering. Prior to her Bremen-call, the BBC Bremen had been calling Esbjerg in Denmark and Le Trait in France. After the loading call in Bremen, Hamburg will follow before the ship heads towards the United States, where its destinations will be Galveston and Houston.
Of the initial order of fifteen vessels of the LakerMax type, so far eleven vessels have been delivered. Meanwhile Briese Schiffahrt has added another six vessels firmly ordered, plus options on furthermore six vessels of this type. Deliveries are slated for the years 2028 and 2029.
Like her sister vessels, the BBC Bremen is a multipurpose triple-decker equipped with two Liebherr LS250 shipboard cranes with a lifting capacity of up to 500 metric tons. Her optimized deck layout and forward location of bridge and accommodation allow for unobstructed 2,830 sqm of space on the weather deck.
View the full story and more images here: https://maritimemag.com/en/bbc-chartering-celebrates-naming-of-the-bbc-bremen-in-bremen/?utm_source=rss&fbclid=IwY2xjawPnEulleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeNbMFMKAGnSEKAQ5YTXeRFbzMqsdpGq4c4uoMO17RfEAYRLZQBeh9iJmeAVM_aem_4QxzTVwah4g4jE_4Ys09uQ
Boatnerd News January 28, 2026
The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at https://www.boatnerd.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026
Trucks line up for hours in search of salt from Goderich mine
LONDON, ON – Goderich’s salt mine is working overtime to alleviate a shortage across the province amid treacherous winter weather. More than 100 trucks were lined up outside the mine on Monday, stretching all the way up North Harbour Road onto Highway 21.
Great Lakes vessels have also been loading regularly in Goderich this winter, taking salt to communities on Lake Michigan such as Milwaukee and Chicago.
Locals say it’s been like this for weeks, as the province grapples with a salt shortage. The mine, the largest in the world, is shipping de-icing salt as quickly as they can mine it these days thanks to one of the most severe winters in a decade.
“With the significant impact of winter weather compared to recent seasons, the entire road salt supply chain continues to experience high demand for deicing salt. At Compass Minerals, we are actively working to fulfill all current orders, prioritizing shipments for our municipal clients,” said Compass Minerals, owners of the Goderich salt mine, in a statement.
Goderich’s salt mine produces more than seven million tons of salt each year but has the capacity to mine nine million tons. In 2024, Compass curtailed production of salt to “align inventory with business conditions,” which means instead of having huge stockpiles of salt sitting in inventory, they decided to produce salt more on an as needed basis.
It’s needed now, as de-icing salt has quickly become the most valuable commodity this winter.
The trucks, trains, and boats loading salt in Goderich are dealing mostly with municipalities who are also talking about curtailing, or at least closely monitoring their salt supplies, as they try to keep roads passable during one of the toughest winters in years.
Without sharing specifics, Compass says they’re ramping up production as best they can to meet the constant and growing demand for their granules of snow melting magic.
“We are focused on moving product as efficiently as possible, while also maximizing daily output from our Goderich mine to ensure optimal, full-season inventory availability across our network. We remain committed to serving all our valued customers in Ontario and all markets that we serve,” said Compass Minerals.
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