Alas, Boreal Ship Spotter turns in for winter hibernation
Jan 15, 2021 02:31PM ● By EditorWatch a WDIO-TV Report on the close of shipping season here
From Boreal Community Media - January 15, 2021
With the closure of the Soo Locks scheduled for midnight Friday, the Great Lakes shipping season draws to a close and Boreal's Ship Spotter goes on hiatus. The closure is federally mandated and the time is used to do annual maintenance on the Soo Locks. The Army Corps of Engineers plans to open the Soo Locks again on March 25.
The shipping season in Thunder Bay officially closed on Tuesday marking one of that ports most successful season in over twenty years. Overseas grain demand drew over 150 foreign ‘saltie’ vessels to Thunder Bay for grain in 2020 – the second-highest tally at the Port since the Seaway opened in 1959. Several factors contributed to the grain surge, including significant carryover of grain stock from the large 2019 harvest, and worldwide stockpiling of staple foods during the pandemic.
According to the Duluth News Tribune, four ships are already in winter layup in the Duluth harbor. Friday afternoon the Burns Harbor was steaming up bound to Superior, presumably to join the other ships in the harbor for winter layout. The News Tribune reported that a total of ten ships will over winter in Duluth-Superior.
The remaining handful ships on Lake Superior on Friday afternoon were on the far eastern end of the Lake racing to make it through the Soo Locks by its midnight closure.
With the closure of the Soo Locks scheduled for midnight Friday, the Great Lakes shipping season draws to a close and Boreal's Ship Spotter goes on hiatus. The closure is federally mandated and the time is used to do annual maintenance on the Soo Locks. The Army Corps of Engineers plans to open the Soo Locks again on March 25.
The shipping season in Thunder Bay officially closed on Tuesday marking one of that ports most successful season in over twenty years. Overseas grain demand drew over 150 foreign ‘saltie’ vessels to Thunder Bay for grain in 2020 – the second-highest tally at the Port since the Seaway opened in 1959. Several factors contributed to the grain surge, including significant carryover of grain stock from the large 2019 harvest, and worldwide stockpiling of staple foods during the pandemic.
According to the Duluth News Tribune, four ships are already in winter layup in the Duluth harbor. Friday afternoon the Burns Harbor was steaming up bound to Superior, presumably to join the other ships in the harbor for winter layout. The News Tribune reported that a total of ten ships will over winter in Duluth-Superior.
The remaining handful ships on Lake Superior on Friday afternoon were on the far eastern end of the Lake racing to make it through the Soo Locks by its midnight closure.
