Algorail - Sailboat Incident

The following photos were taken by a friend of mine.  There were taken on the Saginaw River while Algorail was stuck and NOT moving.  I am not posting these photos to criticize, but rather to show that this incident took place and the resulting contact between the sailboat mast and the steering pole on the Algorail caused damage to both vessels.

Home from Vacation - Time to Catch Up

Here were the vessel passages and deliveries for the week I was gone on my camping trip.

6/19/2013	MANITOWOC	Bay City Wirt Dock
6/20/2013	AMERICAN COURAGE	Bay Aggregates Dock
6/20/2013	MANISTEE	Bay City Wirt Dock
6/20/2013	OLIVE L. MOORE - LEWIS J. KUBER	Bay City Wirt Dock & Saginaw Wirt Dock
6/21/2013	AMERCAN CENTURY	Consumers Energy Dock
6/23/2013	OLIVE L. MOORE - LEWIS J. KUBER	Burroughs North Dock & Saginaw Lafarge Stone Dock
6/24/2013	DEFIANCE - ASHTABULA	Bay Aggregates Dock
6/25/2013	ALGORAIL	Sargent Dock Zilwaukee
6/25/2013	OLIVE L. MOORE - LEWIS J. KUBER	Essexville Wirt Sand & Stone Dock
6/28/2013	INDIANA HARBOR	Consumers Energy Dock

Also of note was the grounding of the Algorail between the Veteran's Memorial Bridge and Liberty Bridge in Downtown Bay City

Here is a link to the MLive story and some photos of the Algorail

Saginaw River Passages - June 18th

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber called on the Saginaw River on Tuesday, with a split cargo for the Bay City and Saginaw Wirt Stone Docks.  The pair backed down to the Airport Turning Basin after unloading, turned and was outbound for the lake late Tuesday night.  Undaunted - Pere Marquette 41 made their first visit of the season to the Saginaw River, Tuesday afternoon.  The pair also traveled up to the Saginaw Wirt Stone Dock to unload.  The Undaunted - Pere Marquette 41 were backing down the River to the Airport Basin early Wednesday morning.

I will be away from a computer until Wednesday of next week.  Look for a catch-up report when I return!

Saginaw River Passages - June 16th

The Defiance - Ashtabula departed the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City, late Saturday morning, after unloading there overnight.  Inbound late Saturday night was the Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber, carrying a split cargo.  The pair stopped first at the Bay Aggregates dock, then continued upriver to finish unloading at the Buena Vista dock in Saginaw.  The Moore-Kuber were back outbound for the lake late Sunday morning.

Saginaw River Passage - June 14th

The tug Defiance and barge Ashtabula made their first ever visit to the Saginaw River on Friday, calling on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City.  The pair was still unloading there late in the evening and were expected to depart early Saturday morning.

Vessel Passage - Saginaw River

Thursday morning saw the return of the Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber, this time with a split cargo for the Burroughs North dock in Essexville and the GM dock in Saginaw.  By late afternoon, the pair had finished unloading, backed downriver to the Airport Turning Basin, Turned, and were outbound for the lake.

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber unloading at the Burroughs North Dock

Another view

Saginaw River Passage - June 11th

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tug Demolen and crane barge Veler were loading stone at the Bay City Wirt Stone dock during the afternoon Tuesday.  Once loaded, the pair turned off the dock and transited back down the river to the area of the Essexville turning basin.  It is not known what work they were performing at this time

USACE Tug Demolen at Bay City Wirt

Loading stone with the crane

Wide view at Bay City Wirt

Saginaw river Passages - June 10th

Monday morning saw the arrival of the Indiana Harbor on the Saginaw River, with her calling on the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville to unload coal.  Once finished unloading, the Indiana Harbor waited for the outbound Samuel de Champlain - Innovation, who had unloaded overnight at the Lafarge dock in Essexville to clear, then she backed from the dock, out to Light 12 in the Saginaw Bay to turn and head for the lake.  Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were also inbound on Monday, traveling up to the Buena Vista dock in Saginaw to unload.  The pair finished their unload, then backed down the Saginaw River to turn in the Airport Turning Basin, before heading for the lake Monday evening.

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber outbound at Cass Avenue

Another view

Saginaw River Passages - June 9th

Sam Laud was inbound Sunday morning, backing into the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City.  The Laud was outbound for the lake during the late afternoon.  The tug Samuel de Champlain and cement barge Innovation were inbound Sunday evening, calling on the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville.  The pair were expected to be outbound on Monday.

Sam Laud backing into the Bay Aggregates Slip in Bay City

Another view

Samuel de Champlain - Innovation at the Lafarge Cement Dock in Essexville

Saginaw River Passage - June 8th

Mississagi was inbound on the Saginaw River Saturday morning, heading up river to Saginaw, to unload at the Buena Vista Dock.  Once finished, she backed down to the airport turning basin, turned, and was then outbound for the lake Saturday evening.

Saginaw River Passage - June 5th

Wednesday saw Cuyahoga make her first visit of the season to the Saginaw River, as she traveled all of the the up to the Sixth Street Basin and unloaded at the Lafarge Stone dock in Saginaw.  She departed the dock late in the evening, and was backing down the Saginaw River.

Saginaw River Passages - June 2nd

The big tug, Olive L. Moore, uncoupled from the Lewis J. Kuber Sunday morning, and headed downriver from the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee, bound for the Wirt dock in Bay City.  There, she met up the the tug Manitou, who had recently arrived on the Saginaw River, and together they assisted in turning the Manitowoc in the Wirt basin.  The Moore and Manitou made quick work of the turn and Manitowoc was outbound from the river late Sunday morning.

Olive L. Moore and Manitou assisting the Manitowoc in turning around at the Bay City Wirt Basin

After escorting Manitowoc out of the river, the Manitou traveled upriver to where the Moore-Kuber have been tied up at Burroughs since early on the 29th of May.  With still too much current to turn around, Manitou tied off to the Moore with plans of trying again tomorrow if conditions cooperate.

The tug Champion arrived on the Saginaw River late Sunday afternoon with two barges of equipment for the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville.  She remained there Sunday night.

Olive L Moore heading back up the Saginaw River  to re-attach to the Lewis J. Kuber

Tug Manitou along side the Olive L. Moore at Burroughs in Zilwaukee

Champion inbound for the Consumers Energy dock in Essexville

Tug Champion

Saginaw River News

Both the Manitowoc and the Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber remained on the Saginaw River as of Saturday night, with Manitowoc at the Bay City Wirt dock and the Moore-Kuber at the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee  The Moore-Kuber arrived on the 28th of May with a split cargo for Bay City and Saginaw Wirt and Manitowoc arrived on the 29th and unloaded at Bay City Wirt.  Very strong currents in the Saginaw River are preventing the vessels from safely turning around and heading out for the lake.

Commercial Vessel Passages for the month of May totaled 18.  This is three less than the same period in 2012, but is actually one more than the five year average.  For total vessel passages for the year, there have been 21, which is 14 passages less than the same period in 2012.

Manitowoc at Bay City Wirt on May 31st

Another view at sunset

USS Edson at her dock near the Independence Bridge

Crew from Luedtke Engineering dredging the channel between the Saginaw River Front range
and the Confined Disposal Island

Tugs Kurt Luedtke, Karl Luedtke and the Derrick Boat 16

Kurt R. Luedtke

Suction dredge Lucille T at the Confined Disposal Island