Saginaw River Passages - June 30th

The tug Olive L. Moore, with the barge Lewis J. Kuber, called on the Saginaw River late Thursday evening. The pair stopped at the Wirt Stone Dock in Bay City to unload.
For June, there were 19 commercial vessel passages on the Saginaw River, which is up one from the same period last year. For the year to date, there have been 13 fewer passages with a total of 36 so far in 2011. Looking at long term averages for the month of June, vessel passages are 12 below average for the month, while the year to date number is 42 passages below the average of 78.

Princess Wenonah during the 1st night of Bay City Fireworks on Thursday

Saginaw River Passage - June 28th

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were back on the Saginaw River Tuesday evening, traveling up to the end of the navigatible channel and the Saginaw Lafarge Stone Dock to unload. The pair are expected to be outbound on Wednesday. Tuesday morning saw the tug Undaunted and barge Pere Marquette 41 depart the Saginaw Wirt dock and head outbound for the lake.

Saginaw River Passages - June 27th

The Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were outbound from the Saginaw River Monday morning, after arriving early on Sunday. The tug Undaunted, with her barge Pere Marquette 41, called on the Wirt Stone dock in Saginaw Monday afternoon to unload. The pair is expected to be outbound Tuesday morning. The SCS Greyfox arrived Monday evening, docking in Downtown Bay City for her annual 4th of July weekend visit.

Saginaw River Passages - June 25th & 26th

The tug Krista S. departed the Essroc dock in Essexville on Saturday morning. She was headed for the lake with two barges that were brought down the river from Zilwaukee, Friday evening. Indiana Harbor was also outbound for the lake on Saturday, backing from the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville, turning in the Saginaw Bay, and heading for the lake after unloading coal. Stephen B. Roman was inbound Saturday evening, calling on the Essroc dock to unload. She turned in the Essexville Turning Basin late Sunday afternoon and departed for the lake. Olive L. Moore – Lewis J. Kuber were inbound Sunday morning with a cargo bound for the Saginaw Lafarge Stone Dock. The pair had to wait briefly at the Wirt Stone dock in Bay City before heading upriver to wait again at the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee for the Algoway. Algoway arrived on Friday and has remained tied up at the Saginaw Lafarge dock since, right where the Moore and Kuber are scheduled to unload, due to strong river currents from torrential rain in the area a few days earlier. Algoway was finally able to get turned late Sunday night and once past the Burroughs dock, the Olive L. Moore will move upriver to begin unloading at Saginaw Lafarge. Also going on in Bay City this weekend was the Bay City River Roar Formula 1 Powerboat races. This is the 24th year for the tunnel boat races held between the Liberty and Veteran’s Memorial Bridges.

Stephen B. Roman at Essroc

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber at Bay City Wirt

Saginaw River Passages - June 24th

The Algoway was inbound the Saginaw River early Friday morning, calling on the Lafarge Stone dock in Saginaw. She remained at the dock early Saturday morning. The tug Krista S. also traveled upriver to just below the I-75 bridge to pick up two barges. The tug and barges were tied up at the Essroc in Essexville early Saturday morning. The Indiana Harbor called on the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville, Friday evening, to unload. She was expected to depart Saturday morning.

Tug Krista S. downbound at Essroc in Essexville

Saginaw River Passage - June 18th

The hardest working pair on the Saginaw River, the Olive L. Moore and Lewis J. Kuber, were back yet again early Saturday morning, traveling upriver to the GM dock in Saginaw to unload. Finished by early afternoon, the Moore-Kuber turned and were outbound through Bay City mid-afternoon Saturday.

Saginaw River Passage - June 15th

The Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were inbound the Saginaw River on Wednesday night, carrying a split cargo. The pair stopped at the Bay City Wirt stone dock to drop a partial load before continuing upriver to finish unloading at the Saginaw Wirt dock. The Moore-Kuber were outbound early Thursday morning. This was the first cargo delivered to the Bay City and Saginaw Wirt dock of the 2011 season.

Saginaw River Passages - June 13th

The Indiana Harbor called on the Saginaw River early Monday morning, stopping at the Consumers energy dock to unload coal. She then backed from the dock and turned around near Light 12, before heading for the lake later in the morning. The tug Krista S. was outbound from the Essroc dock Monday morning, pulling two mud barges, headed for the lake.

Saginaw River Passages - June 9th & 10th

Algorail was inbound the Saginaw River on Thursday afternoon, headed up to the GM Dock in Saginaw. Once unloaded, she turned in the Sixth Street turning basin and was outbound for the lake early Friday morning. The tug Olive L. Moore and barge Lewis J. Kuber were inbound Friday evening, calling on the Lafarge Stone dock in Saginaw. After unloading, they were expected to be outbound Saturday morning.


Tug Jill Marie at Stender Marine on Friday

Tug Floyd Sr. at Stender Marine on Friday

Saginaw River Passages - June 7th & 8th

Calumet made her first visit of 2011 to the Saginaw River on Tuesday, traveling up to the GM Dock in Saginaw to unload. On her way upriver, the Lafayette Bridge failed to open, causing the Calumet to stop in the middle of the channel as quickly as she could to avoid striking the bridge. After a lengthy delay while MDOT mechanics worked to get the bridge open, Calumet was finally able to continue her trip up to Saginaw without incident. She was back outbound for the lake early Wednesday morning.

The Calumet River Fleeting tug, Krista S., arrived overnight and was tied up at the Essroc dock in Essexville on Wednesday morning.

Wednesday evening saw the arrival of the Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber, who called on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City, to unload. The pair were expected to be outbound Thursday morning.

Tug Krista S. at the Essroc Dock, Wednesday morning

Saginaw River Passages - June 5th & 6th

The Stephen B. Roman called on the Essroc Dock in Essexville early Sunday morning to unload. She finished up by early Sunday afternoon and was outbound for the lake.
On Monday morning, the tug Olive L. Moore, with the Lewis J. Kuber traveled to the upper river to unload at the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee. The pair were finished by late afternoon and were outbound for the lake, passing through downtown Bay City by 7:30 Monday evening.

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber inbound just clear of Liberty Bridge in Bay City

Saginaw River Passage - June 2nd

The Invincible-McKee Sons completed their unload and departed the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City, ealry Thursday morning. The pair were assisted by the tug Gregory J. Busch in making the turn coming out of the slip and getting headed downriver.

The tug Kurt Luedtke was busy on Thursday moving barges from the lower river, through the Bay City bridges, and staging them upriver in Zilwaukee.


Tug Kurt Luedtke downbound at Cass Avenue

Saginaw River Report - May 2011

The month of May on the Saginaw River continued the same downward trend we have been seeing for the past five years. May 2011 stood at eight commercial vessel passages for the month and for the year to date, 17 commercial vessel passages. This is compared to 17 for May 2010 and a total of 31 for the year to date.

Saginaw River Passages - June 1st

The Indiana Harbor called on the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville early Wednesday morning to unload coal. She was still at the dock just before 9pm Wednesday night. Arriving Wednesday afternoon was the tug Invincible, with her barge McKee Sons. The pair called on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City to unload. They were also still at the dock just before 9pm Wednesday night.