Saginaw River Passage - December 30th

Alpena arrived on the Saginaw River early Tuesday morning, calling on the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville to unload.  She was expected to be outbound early Wednesday.

Alpena unloading at Lafarge in Essexville

As seen from Smith Park

Saginaw River Passage - December 26th

Tug Spartan, tank barge Spartan II, on the Saginaw River today, offloading at the Port Fisher Fertilizer Dock in Bay City.  12/26/14.  The pair is the first commercial delivery since 12/9 when the G.L. Ostrander - Integrity called on the Lafarge Stone dock in Essexville.

Saginaw River Passages - December 19th

The tug Kimberly Anne and all of the Dean Marine & Excavating dredge equipment have moved from the seawall in Veterans Memorial Park into the City of Bay City owned, Liberty Harbor Marina, where it appears they are going to spend the winter and begin dredging operations in the spring.

Docked in the Liberty Harbor Marina

Saginaw River Passage - December 16th

Dean Marine & Excavating tug "Kimberly Anne", derrick barge and mud scows, tied up along the Riverwalk in Bay City.  They are shown here just below Veteran's Memorial Bridge.  This is a very unusual place for a vessel to tie up.

Kimberly Anne tied up along the Riverwalk at Veteran's Memorial Park in Bay City

The tug and barges are just below the Veteran's Memorial Bridge

Saginaw River Passage - December 9th

The tug G.L. Ostrander and the cement barge, Integrity, were inbound on the Saginaw River early Tuesday morning.  The pair called on the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville to unload.  They were expected to be outbound early Wednesday morning.

G.L. Ostrander - Integrity unloading at the Lafarge Cement Dock in Essexville

View from Smith Park

View from the Burroughs North Dock

Saginaw River Passages - December 6th

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber called on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City on Saturday.  The pair unloaded and were then outbound for the lake during the evening on Saturday.

USCG Cutter Hollyhock continued work on the Saginaw Bay, replacing summer buoys, marking the Saginaw River Entrance channel, with unlighted winter marks.  Hollyhock departed the area and was headed for Lake Huron just before the Moore-Kuber

Saginaw River Passage - December 4th & 5th

USCG Cutter Hollyhock arrived on the Saginaw Bay, Thursday afternoon, to work AToN in the Saginaw River Entrance Channel.  Hollyhock was again working AToN during the day Friday.

November 2014 Saginaw River Passages

For the month of November, there were 13 commercial vessel deliveries to docks along the Saginaw River.  This is down seven deliveries from November 2013, when there were twenty.  It is also three deliveries below the five year average of sixteen.  For the year to date, there have been 105 commercial deliveries on the Saginaw River.  This is 28 fewer than the same time period in 2013 and 21 fewer than the five year average of 126 over the same time period.

Saginaw River Passage - December 2nd

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were inbound on the Saginaw River, early Tuesday morning, calling on the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee.  After unloading, the pair were outbound for the lake, reaching the Saginaw Bay late in the afternoon.

Saginaw River Passage - November 28th

American Courage was outbound for the Saginaw River early Friday morning after unloading at the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City.  Inbound late Friday morning was Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber, calling on the Wirt Stone dock in Bay City.  The pair were expected to be outbound late Friday night or early Saturday morning.

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber inbound at the Lake State Railway Bridge

Passing through Lake State Railway Bridge

Saginaw River Passage - November 27th

Happy Thanksgiving!

The American Courage was inbound on the Saginaw River during the late afternoon Saturday, calling on the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City.  She was expected to be unloaded and outbound for the lake, early Friday morning.

Olive L. Moore Outbound - November 21st

Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber outbound on an ice covered Saginaw River - November 21, 2014

Passing through Downtown Bay City early on a single digit temperature morning.

Saginaw River Passages - November 20th

Manitowoc was inbound on the Saginaw River Thursday morning, calling on the GM Dock in Saginaw to unload.  She was back outbound for the lake early Thursday evening.  Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were inbound Thursday afternoon carrying a split load.  The pair dropped a partial cargo at the Wirt Stone dock in Bay City, then continued upriver to finish unloading at the Wirt Stone dock in Saginaw.  The Moore-Kuber were expected to be outbound early Friday morning.

Saginaw River Passages - November 18th

The Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were back on the Saginaw River Tuesday morning, with the pair traveling all the way to the end of the commercial shipping channel, to unload at the Lafarge Stone dock in Saginaw.  The Moore-Kuber finished unloading by the late afternoon and were outbound for the lake Tuesday evening.

Saginaw River Vessel Passage Totals

Through the end of the summer and into the fall months, commercial shipping remained down on the Saginaw River.  The following illustrates how much:

August 2014 - 19 commercial passages.  Two less than August 2013 and two less than the five year average.  September 2014 - 18 commercial passages.  Two more than September 2013 and two more than the five year average.  October 2014 - 14 commercial passages.  One less than October 2013 and one less than the five year average.

As far as where things stand as of the year to date, Commercial shipping for 2014 is currently at 100 vessel deliveries.  This is 23 less than the 123 passages last year at this point and 20 less than the five year average.  Interestingly, there has only been two deliveries of coal, to the Consumers Energy/Karn-Weadock power plant in Essexville, this year by water.  Last year there were sixteen.  Rail has been king this year for coal in Essexville.

Saginaw River Passages - November 17th

Mississagi was outbound from the Saginaw River early Monday morning, after unloading overnight at the Sargent Dock in Zilwaukee.  Ryba Marine Contracting has been dredging in the lower Saginaw River for the past month and a half, from the Confined Disposal Island in the Saginaw Bay up to where they currently are working in Downtown Bay City, between the Veteran's Memorial Bridge and Liberty Bridge.  The tug Thomas R. Morrish has been running mud scows upriver to the new Confined Disposal Site located near Cheboyganing Creek on the Bay/Saginaw County line.

Ryba Marine's tug  THOMAS R. MORRISH

Dredging operations as seen through the rigging on the schooner APPLEDORE IV

Saginaw River Passages - November 16th

A snowy morning on the Saginaw River saw the Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber outbound late Sunday morning after unloading in Saginaw overnight.  The pair passed their fleet mate, Mississagi, who was inbound to unload salt at the Sargent dock in Zilawukee.  Mississagi also unloaded salt at Sargent on Friday.  She was expected to be outbound late Sunday night.

Mississagi coning around the corner at Cass Avenue

Black & White view headed towards the Airport Turning Basin

Photos from the Saginaw River - November 12, 2014

Manitowoc inbound on the Saginaw River just above the James Clements Airport

Manitowoc making the turn at Cheboyganing Creek

Mississagi inbound nearing Cass Avenue

Saginaw River Photos - H. Lee White

Here are a few photos of the arrival of the H. Lee White on the Saginaw River - October 28, 2014

H. Lee Whitw inbound on the Saginaw River passing USCG STANT Saginaw River

I Am Back!

Hi Everyone!  I am actually still logging vessel passages on the Saginaw River, and I will update everyone in a few weeks.  Life caught up with me for a while and I have not had to time to take or post many photos at all, but for now, here are a few from October 17, 2014

Tug Tenacious and tug Thomas R. Morrish at Lafarge Essexville

Harbour Fountain unloading at the Port Fisher Fertilizer Dock in Bay City

Gregory J. Busch at Port Fisher Fertilizer Dock

Harbour Fountain unloading at Port Fisher Fertilizer

Saginaw River Passages - August 30th

It has been twelve days since the last commercial vessel passage on the Saginaw River, when the Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber had visited the Bay City and Saginaw Wirt Stone Docks on August 18th, before the arrival of two vessels, Saturday, August 30th.  The Samuel de Champlain - Innovation called on the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville to unload during the morning hours, followed by the H. Lee White, who called on the Burroughs North dock in Essexville to unload.  Both vessels were expected to be outbound by early Sunday morning.

Saginaw River Passages - August 14th - 16th

Algorail was back on the Saginaw River Thursday, carrying another load of salt for the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee.  She was outbound later that day.  Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber called on the river Saturday, unloading at both the Bay City & Saginaw Wirt Stone docks.  The pair were outbound Saturday evening.

Algorail upbound on the Saginaw River, headed to unload salt at Sargent Zilwaukee

Saginaw River Passages - August 9th & 10th

Traffic on the Saginaw River was reminiscent of days about 10 years ago, as there were four vessels moving in the river on Sunday.  Algorail was outbound after unloading at the Sagrent dock in Zilwaukee.  Robert S. Pierson was outbound after unloading at the Buena Vista dock in Saginaw.  Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber was outbound after unloading at the Burroughs dock in Zilwaukee.  Inbound on Sunday was American Courage, calling on that Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City.  The tug Zeus and her tank barge, Robert F. Deegan, were outbound late Saturday night after unloading at the Dow Chemical dock in Bay City.

Robert S. Pierson outbound at the Lake State Railway Bridge

American Courage inbound past the Front Range

Saginaw River Passages - August 7th

Alpena was outbound from the Saginaw River on Thursday after unloading at the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville.  Manitowoc was inbound during the early afternoon, calling on the GM dock in Saginaw to unload.  She was outbound later in the evening.  Olive L. Moore - Lewis J. Kuber were inbound during the late afternoon, stopping at the Bay Aggregates dock in Bay City to unload.

Manitowoc inbound on the Saginaw River nearing Cass Avenue

Saginaw River Passages - August 4th - 6th

Algorail was inbound on the Saginaw River on Monday, traveling upriver to the Sargent dock in Zilwaukee to unload.  She was outbound later in the day.  Alpena arrived on Wednesday and was unloading at the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville.

Algorail outbound from the Saginaw River at Cass Avenue

Alpena unloading at the Lafarge Cement dock in Essexville